Despite already signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract earlier in the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons used the No. 6 overall pick to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft.It was expected that Cousins would lead the offense while Penix learned behind him; however, Cousins was unable to shake off the rust from a previous Achilles injury layoff. Atlanta eventually benched the seasoned quarterback in favor of the young player in the final few games of the season.Penix, who has been named the Falcons' starting quarterback entering his second league season, did not participate in the team's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions last week because the team decided to rest its starters.Fans are eager to see if Penix will play in the Falcons' second preseason game on Friday against the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Raheem Morris reportedly stated on Tuesday that Penix will definitely not play against the Titans, and Cousins might also sit after sharing most of the snaps in team drills with Penix during the week.The Falcons' decision to keep Penix out of their second consecutive preseason game emphasizes their focus on protecting their franchise quarterback, as he remains active in practice.Penix finished his rookie season with 61 completions on 105 attempts for 775 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions in five games, three of which he started, earning a passer rating of 78.9. He will pick up where he left off on September 7 when the Falcons begin their 2025 regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Michael Penix insists he doesn't need preseason snaps to performLike the other Atlanta Falcons starters, Michael Penix Jr. will not play in Friday's preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. But the second-year quarterback isn't worried because he knows he'll be ready for the regular season even if he doesn't get any preseason action."I’m always going to be ready. That’s my job is to be ready, whenever week one comes," Penix said on Thursday. "And in college, you didn’t have no preseason. It’s like you got your spring game and you're going into week one. So, it’s the same thing. I’m going to be ready in week one. Whenever it counts, I’m going to be there. I’m going to show up."It is expected that Falcons head coach Raheem Morris will use the same strategy against the Titans today as he did in the preseason game against the Detroit Lions last week, when he gave rookies and reserve players a lot of playing time.The Falcons' quarterback snaps were split between Easton Stick and Emory Jones last week, and it appears that they will handle most of the work against the Titans again.The Titans vs. Falcons preseason game will kick off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday, August 15, at 7 p.m. The game is available to fans on NFL Network, or via streaming on NFL+, or FuboTV.