Raheem Morris explains why Michael Penix Jr. didn't play in second preseason game

This came as quite the shock on early Saturday afternoon. After looking very promising in his preseason debut for the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Penix Jr. did not even dress for his new team's second game vs. the Baltimore Ravens. He was seen wearing team gear on the sidelines, just like a savvy veteran who has nothing to gain and everything to lose from playing in any exhibition contest.

Atlanta again played hard, but did not come away with a victory, as the Dirty Birds lost 13-12 to fall to 0-2 in the preseason. The truth of the matter is this -- new head coach Raheem Morris does not care what you think about him playing, or not playing, his starters. He really likes his team and is not going to let your feelings get in the way of his team's success. Hardly any of his starters have played so far.

In the wake of Atlanta trading for New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon and signing former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons, the Falcons have gone from a playoff hopeful in the NFC to a serious contender to come out of its conference. As stated before, Morris has been adamant about this team having a succession plan at quarterback. The team will go from Kirk Cousins to Penix soon.

When asked why Penix did not play on Saturday, he said that his staff has seen enough out of him.

To add another wrinkle, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Penix is done playing this preseason.

Penix would be a serious candidate to start games for lesser NFL teams right away as a rookie. He did spend six years in college due to injury and the COVID season. He may be a tad raw in some capacities, but he looked far better in his preseason debut than Bo Nix did for the Denver Broncos. Morris was not about to ruin his team's future and have the Falcons feeling like the Minnesota Vikings.

Atlanta will close out its preseason at home vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Raheem Morris touches on why Michael Penix Jr. did not play on Saturday

It is a controversial roll of the dice to not play Penix in any more preseason games, but I understand it. Cousins is coming off a season-ending injury with the Vikings last year he is firmly in his mid-30s and may only have a few more great seasons left in the tank. Penix is the future for this team, and everyone seems to be well aware of that. For now, look for a lot of Taylor Heinicke and John Paddock.

It may be a bummer for Falcons fans coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night who were hoping there was some sliver of a possibility Penix could be playing in front of the hometown faithful. Unfortunately, there was never going to be any shot at it. No one plays their starters or other valued assets in the final preseason game. Today was supposed to be the dress rehearsal, but it was not.

Ultimately, Falcons fans can only hope that Penix gets all the reps needs to grow and develop in practice. Getting to sit behind Cousins should help. Zac Robinson is an on-the-rise offensive coordinator. With Morris having coached both sides of the ball in his career, he is not some defensive-minded doofus who thinks quarterbacks are vermin. Those guys like toes over on ESPN.

In the meantime, do your best to try and savor what you saw out of Penix in his lone preseason game.