In Atlanta, training camp began with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and quarterback Taylor Heinicke splitting the second-team reps. As soon as Tuesday, when the Falcons get back to work, that could change.
Heinicke knows it’s coming; he said Saturday night that he can “see the writing on the wall.” While some have interpreted that to mean he’s expecting to no longer be a Falcon, the more immediate reality is that he’s likely expecting to not be getting many second-team reps much longer.
The real question is whether a looming Penix promotion will be the end, or the beginning? The question is balancing winning now and winning later. The sooner Penix plays, the better suited the Falcons will be to win later, since he’ll get valuable reps and the game will (in theory) slow down and he’ll get closer to his ceiling, whatever it might be.
Yes, they gave Kirk Cousins $90 million guaranteed over the next two years. But they can hold the total expense to $62.5 million, if he’s traded after the current season. If the Falcons pivot to Penix before 2025, that’s the likely outcome. (Yes, Cousins has a no-trade clause. His choices might be to waive it and play or flex it and sit.)
Watch the owner, Arthur Blank. If he wants Penix’s path to the starting job to be accelerated, those who work for Blank will have to decide whether to resist or relent.
Cousins is cleared to practice, but (we’re told) he’s still not 100 percent after tearing an Achilles tendon last season. As Penix gets more reps in practice — and if he plays at length in the preseason and plays well — the Falcons could decide to toss Penix into the fray. The players might make it impossible to keep Penix under wraps, depending on how he performs.
Ultimately, the coaching staff and front office might want to play Cousins and wait on Penix. Again, ownership could have a major say in what ultimately happens.
Because ownership typically has a major say in decisions like this, far more often than they’d ever admit.
Back to Heinicke. Why trade him? After last year, it’s clear that there’s value in having three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The Falcons might need him at some point. Alternatively, the Falcons might be able to trade him to someone who will develop an acute requirement for a competent player at the most important position on the field.