After failing to reach the postseason this year, the Atlanta Falcons are firing head coach Raheem Morris and the search will now begin for the team that was in the wild-card last season. According to the breaking news, the Falcons fired Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot, as the Falcons will likely build a new regime on both sides of the ball. With that in mind, the Falcons could consider entertaining the idea of trading Michael Penix Jr., as Kirk Cousins is likely out, as he has no chance of getting his starting job back. Despite winning four consecutive matchups, it wasn’t enough for the Falcons to retain Morris and Fontenot.
A lot of things can now change depending on who becomes the next head coach. It will be surprising to see what the Falcons do at the quarterback position, but they’re rumored to draft another potential starter in April.
Raheem Morris Firing Could Signal Michael Penix Jr. Trade
If the Falcons find a legitimate quarterback, this could cause some danger to Penix’s future. Originally selected in the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the selection itself caught many in the league by surprise. After signing Kirk Cousins to a blockbuster, long-term deal, the Falcons still decided to take Penix. The eventual second-year quarterback would earn the starting job and take the Falcons to the wild-card in 2024, but lost to Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
Cousins was put on the back burner, and now it looks like this could be the case for Penix. The young quarterback had a solid sophomore campaign, recording 1,982 passing yards for nine touchdowns. Unfortunately, it came to an end due to a season-ending injury, and he could land with these three teams next.
Potential Trade Suitors
Indianapolis Colts
While the Colts want to re-sign Daniel Jones, they wouldn’t shut down the chance to trade for Penix. The Colts are entering an offseason with high hopes despite failing to reach the postseason. However, they need to find the flexibility to make this trade happen since they will focus on extending their offensive talent, like Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis, similar to Arizona, has a well-rounded team, but Penix might be the answer to complete the squad. The Colts could sign Jones on a low-stakes two-year contract while trading for Penix, who is still under a rookie deal, which would be lucrative for them to get him.
Carolina Panthers
Meanwhile, just because the Panthers snuck themselves into the postseason, they are high on Bryce Young. Head Coach Dave Canales benched Young not too long ago, so if the Panthers get blown out by the Rams in the wild-card, there could be questions regarding Young’s future. The Panthers have a promising future in Tetairoa McMillan and two downhill runners in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle (if he re-signs). With that, if Carolina decides to bring in some healthy competition, they could trade for Penix as their potential next Cam Newton.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are one good quarterback away from having a solid offense. With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, the Cardinals could easily be postseason contenders in the next two years if they find the next signal-caller. The Cardinals are expected to cut Kyler Murray, and as Jacoby Brissett gets older, Penix sounds like the true answer to their offensive woes.