When the NFL released their 2024 schedule back in May, the Week 17 matchup between the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons was circled as another reunion between veteran Kirk Cousins, who had signed with Falcons in March, and the team that drafted him.
It still will be, but Cousins won't be the one lining up under center for the Falcons when the two teams clash on Sunday Night Football.
In a rare moved for a team vying for a playoff spot this late in the season, the Falcons benched Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., who was taken with the No. 8 overall pick but not expected to be in a position to play for at least another year. Penix is now in position to help the Falcons take the NFC South crown this season but will likely need to win out to do so.
Even with a small sample size, Penix provides the Commanders with another wrinkle to account for in what will be a pivotal game for them as well.
"Going into the whole process, you knew this was a talented guy," coach Dan Quinn said of Penix. "He could deliver, he could process quickly. And so, his way of playing is different than our way of playing where we moved Jayden a lot to do that."
Penix was one of the quarterbacks who visited the Commanders' facility during the draft process this offseason. Washington, who held the No. 2 overall pick, wanted to consider all their options before deciding on which signal-caller to take, and Penix had just wrapped up a college career that was worth consideration. After four seasons at Indiana, Penix transferred to the University of Washington and had back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, including 4,903 yards in 2023 with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Aside from leading the Huskies to an undefeated 13-0 season, leading the NCAA in passing yards and finishing second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, Penix also ranked second in big-time throws by Pro Football Focus and had 14 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards. He was viewed as having one of the best arms in his draft class, and it was clear to Quinn that he could "rip it anywhere."
"Those were the things we saw in the draft process and then limited stuff during the preseason," Quinn said. "We saw some and then a full-on game last week and you saw that arm talent and the strength come through full on."
Penix was drafted by the Falcons just months after the team signed Cousins to an expensive four-year contract, prompting questions about why they would draft a rookie to sit for possibly at least three seasons. The Falcons, however, wanted to build for a future after Cousins and felt like Penix was simply too good of a prospect to pass on.
Daniels, who got to know Penix from the draft process, can vouch for Penix's skill set.
"Me and Mike are boys," Daniels said. "Obviously, we trained together. We went through the draft process together, so we built the relationship over that time and I'm happy for him, you know, he waited his time. He's a phenomenal player in my eyes, and I'm excited to be able to match up against him."
After playing a combined 20 snaps in matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos earlier this season, Penix made his first career start last week against the New York Giants. He finished the 34-7 win completing 67% of his passes for 202 yards and an interception but did lead his offense to four scoring drives. One of his best stretches came near the end of the afternoon, when he completed five consecutive passes before kicker Riley Patterson ended the drive with a 37-yard field goal.
It will be the second time that Daniels will match up with another quarterback from his draft class, the first coming in Week 8 against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. Daniels is the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the other quarterbacks taken in the first round have at least produced optimism for their future. Bo Nix has the Broncos in position to earn a playoff spot with a 9-6 record; Williams has 19 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions; and New Patriots' signal-caller Drake Maye ranks 11th in the NFL with a 67.6% completion rate.
Based on how the other quarterbacks have played, Daniels expects a good battle with Penix this weekend.
"I think we still got a long way to go, but you can see just the type of guys that are in this class and how they prepare, how they work," Daniels said. "I'm excited to be a part of this draft class with those guys and those caliber players."
