How Are Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins ​​and Michael Penix Jr. Similar?

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — At first glance, the two quarterbacks at the center of the Atlanta Falcons’ offseason have little in common.

Kirk Cousins ​​and Michael Penix Jr. hail from two different parts of the country. Cousins ​​is from the Midwest, in Barrington, Illinois, while Penix is ​​from Tampa, Florida, about 1,200 miles south of Cousins’ roots.

Cousins ​​throws from the right side, Penix from the left. Cousins ​​is married with two children, while Penix has no connection to that type of player. Cousins ​​has 12 years of NFL experience and four Pro Bowl appearances under his belt, while Penix is ​​entering his rookie season.

Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts added a few more.

“They’re two different people,” Pitts said. “Kirk’s 35, Mike’s 24. So they’re different people, different playing styles. One’s younger. I’m sure that’s going to change, but we’re not going to compare the two because I really can’t.”

But when you dig a little deeper, you discover that there’s a lot more between the two than you might think.

Cousins ​​was heavily under-recruited out of high school; he received just five Division I offers, according to 247sports, and arrived at Michigan State University at the bottom of the depth chart.

Yet in an era of college football where transfers carried far more serious consequences than they do today, Cousins ​​persevered at Michigan State and eventually became the starter as a redshirt sophomore.

Penix’s journey was different. He started at Indiana University as a freshman, becoming the first freshman to start the season opener in 21 years.

But Penix has dealt with injuries in each of his four seasons with the Hoosiers. A change of environment was necessary, so he transferred to the University of Washington — where he shined, finishing second in the 2023 Heisman.

In 2012, Cousins ​​slipped to the fourth round of the draft, when he was selected by the Washington Commanders to be Robert Griffin III’s backup. Penix, meanwhile, was taken No. 8 overall last April — and now finds himself as Cousins’ backup.

But it’s in the fine print – the adversity, the question marks and everything in between – that Falcons head coach Raheem Morris believes unites his two popular passers.

“Two guys who have been challenged, doubted, and have consistently proven people wrong,” Morris said. “Kirk is no different with that story and Michael Penix’s story seems very similar. There’s something about people who can push through adversity, who can handle adversity and who can literally bounce back from any type of life situation and be here.”

Here, in this case, is IBM Performance Field, where the Falcons practice. This is also where the biggest similarities between Cousins ​​and Penix appear.

When the Falcons signed Cousins, Morris listed a number of reasons why he did so, from his leadership and intelligence to his competitive spirit. When Atlanta’s decision-makers watched Penix’s tape, they saw much of the same, headlined by a fit arm and budding durability.

So when asked why the Falcons believed in Penix as a long-term answer after Cousins, Morris’ answer was simple.

“Actually, it’s a lot of similar traits to what we talked about when we went to get Kirk,” Morris said. “You’re talking about a guy who’s a pocket passer, who can really progress well, who can do everything you want him to do, throw the ball all over the field.”

Cousins, who are 6’3″ and 200 pounds, and Penix, who is 6’3″ and 210 pounds, also share similar builds, and the way they use their bodies leads to another set of similarities.

While perhaps more subtle, Falcons quarterbacks coach TJ Yates, who has seen both every day during OTAs and minicamp, believes there are plenty of common traits, particularly in offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s scheme.

“People might look at them as different players on the outside,” Yates said, “but for our offense and the way we want to do things here, they both extend plays from inside the pocket with their vision, with their anticipation, the pitch and the ability to make those subtle movements in the pocket and still deliver the ball to the back end while keeping their eyes up.”

The Falcons’ plan is for Cousins ​​to be the current solution for as long as he’s viable — he signed a four-year, $180 million contract in March — and for Penix to take over after that.

In the meantime, Penix will be watching Cousins ​​from the sidelines — hoping to one day translate their stylistic similarities into a career that resembles his veteran counterpart in terms of longevity and accolades.

“I’m really happy to be here, in this position, with a veteran in front of me,” Penix said. “I’m just learning from him and going about my business every day trying to find ways to get better and get to where he is.

“Several years in the league, that’s what I want.”