Is Michael Penix Jr. playing tonight? Falcons QB's status explored for preseason opener vs Lions

The Atlanta Falcons elevated then-rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the starting position before the end of the 2024 season after Kirk Cousins performed inconsistently. Falcons fans are eager to watch the former No. 8 pick in action in his second season as the team's QB1.

As for the preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Friday, Penix Jr. will not be playing. Coach Raheem Morris said both Cousins and Penix Jr. will not play. Morris revealed that many of the players would not be playing in Week 1 of the preseason due to a rigorous workout that involved extremely high work. The coach will instead give preseason reps to players looking to move up the depth chart.

"You’ve got some young guys out there that gotta go out there and show some competitive things," Morris said. "You’ve got some positions that are up for battle. We want to see some of those things happen."

It's still unclear if fans will see Penix Jr. play before the regular season begins since Morris wants to be cautious with his franchise quarterback and most of his key players this preseason.

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With both Cousins and Penix unavailable, Easton Stick and Emory Jones will alternate quarterback duties on Friday.

“We’ll see Stick. We’ll see Emory. That’s probably the most definitive thing that I can tell you right now,” the coach said on Monday.

Penix finished 1-2 in the three games he started for Atlanta to close off the 2024 season. Fans will now have to wait a few more weeks before they can regularly watch the star quarterback play.

How to watch Falcons vs. Lions preseason game on Friday

The Lions kicked off their 2025 preseason last week against the LA Chargers in the NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton. Now, they will get a chance to shake off more rust when they face the Falcons on Friday in their second preseason game.

Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will only air locally on FOX affiliates in Detroit and Atlanta.

Game details:

Date and Time: Friday, Aug. 8, at 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV (local): Fox

Announcers: Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), Coy Wire and D.J. Shockley (color analysts), Jen Hale (sideline reporter)

Live Streaming: FuboTV

About the author

Habib Timileyin has been an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda for 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and found himself drawn to the NFL about a decade ago.

Habib's favorite team is the Cincinnati Bengals and he particularly enjoyed their run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The 2016 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots is his most favorite of all time, and if given a chance to go back in time, he would love to witness the Patroits’ incredible comeback from being 28-3 down to winning 34-28.

Habib admires Tom Brady for his journey from being in a low draft position to achieving immense success in the game. His favorite coach of all time is Bill Belichick.

Habib likes to study intricate details of a story before reporting on it, and compares information among several reputable sources to ensure accuracy. When he's not writing about the NFL, Habib is likely watching Soccer, Basketball or enjoying a good movie on sports.

Know More

Falcons Nation! Check out the latest Atlanta Falcons Schedule and dive into the latest Falcons Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Krutik Jain