Latest news with #Falcons'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michael Penix Jr. believes Falcons offense 'should be unstoppable,' emphasizes getting ball to Kyle Pitts
After the first practice of Atlanta Falcons training camp, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. delivered a message before fielding his first question. "See we got KP the ball today," Penix said unprompted, referencing the involvement of tight end Kyle Pitts in the offense Thursday. Penix smirked, then added: "There's gonna be a lot of that." Pitts is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The highest-drafted tight end in NFL history, Pitts hasn't lived up to the perhaps fantastical expectations he faced when he was drafted No. 4 overall in 2021. As a rookie, the former Florida star recorded the third-most receiving yards (1,026) of any tight end in the league that season. But he found the end zone only once. In each of the three seasons since, Pitts hasn't even come close to returning to the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Plus, he's averaged just 74.3 targets per season in that span, finally reaching 10 career receiving touchdowns in 2024. Pitts has been underutilized in the Falcons' offense, particularly over the past three years. Penix indicated that won't happen again in 2025. Entering his first training camp as Altanta's QB1, the now-second-year signal-caller has big plans for a unit coordinated by Zac Robinson that's stacked with a deck of intriguing playmakers. Pitts is one of them. Running back Bijan Robinson, who recorded the NFL's third-most rushing yards last season but was similarly underused as a rookie in 2023, is another. Not only did Penix spend extra time throwing to Pitts this offseason, but he also did the same with wide receiver Drake London, who is coming off a 100-reception, 1,271-yard and 9-touchdown campaign. 'We should be the best in the league with the guys we've got around us,' a confident Penix said, per The Associated Press. 'We should be unstoppable. So that's that's our goal. We want to be No. 1 in all categories.' In addition to London, the Falcons' wide receiving corps includes a shifty Darnell Mooney and a slippery Ray-Ray McCloud III. London ranked second in the league with 22 contested catches in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, which had McCloud down for the most yards after the catch (342) of any Falcons wideout last season. As for Mooney, his 992 receiving yards were his most in a single season since 2021. Mooney did, however, leave Thursday's practice after diving for a deep ball and taking a hard fall, according to multiple reports. Still, the potential is clearly there for the kind of prolific offensive firepower that Penix surgically facilitated during his final season at Washington, where he became a Heisman Trophy finalist and national runner-up. Penix backed up then-newly-signed Kirk Cousins last season after the Falcons surprisingly drafted him No. 8 overall. Cousins was ultimately benched after struggling in the second half of the season while battling pain in his right arm. Penix started the final three games. Although his Falcons went 1-2 and missed the playoffs at 8-9, he showed enough promise to earn the opportunity to start full-time this season. Those games were critical to Penix's development. 'Yeah, it's very important,' Penix said Thursday, via the AP. 'Just knowing, just being able to go out there and get those games with full-speed reps — it instills confidence, knowing I can go out there and do the same thing that you saw in college and all my life. "So, you know, just I would say biggest thing is confidence." Penix signaled plenty of that the first day of Falcons training camp.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
5 takeaways from Day 1 of Atlanta Falcons training camp
The Atlanta Falcons returned to the field on Thursday morning for their first official training camp practice. Overall, the team kept things light on Day 1 to help the players get acclimated. Head coach Raheem Morris provided injury updates on Troy Andersen and Bralen Trice before practice began, while giving some insight into the team's preseason plans. Unlike last year, Michael Penix Jr. entered camp as the starting quarterback ahead of Kirk Cousins. Penix made sure to feed the ball to Pitts, who shined on Day 1. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney fell hard early in practice and was replaced by Chris Blair. We've rounded up five takeaways from the Falcons' first official training camp practice below. Linebacker Troy Andersen placed on PUP list Andersen's chance to seize the other starting inside linebacker job next to Kaden Elliss took a major hit on Thursday. Morris told reporters that Andersen (knee) was placed physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin training camp. The former second-round pick has struggled to stay healthy over his first three seasons. With Andersen sidelined, Divine Deablo is in line to start this season. The team signed Deablo to a two-year deal in free agency, and it appears to be money well spent. LB Bralen Trice is back After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, Trice is healthy and looking to make an impact. The former Washington standout joined his former teammate, Michael Penix Jr., in his first live action since 2024. Head coach Raheem Morris was enthusiastic about Trice's return to the practice field: "I was so fired up about Bralen last year," said Morris. "I am again this year." Kyle Pitts looking good early After missing the team's previous offseason activities due to a foot injury, Pitts was back at it on Thursday morning. The former top-five pick was a favorite target of Penix on Day 1. While fans are hesitant to get excited about Pitts due to his lack of production in 2024, the fifth-year tight end is proving to me a matchup problem at camp yet again. Penix made it clear Pitts will be a big part of the offense. 'See we got Kyle Pitts the ball today? Gonna be a lot of that,' Penix told reporters after practice. Darnell Mooney banged up, exits practice Per team reporter Tori McElhaney, wide receiver Darnell Mooney "took a pretty hard fall after a deep ball from Penix." Mooney, who finished just shy of 1,000 receiving yards last season, was replaced by Chris Blair following his injury. It's possible the Falcons were just being cautious with Mooney, but the situation is worth keeping an eye on going forward. Morris on preseason plan for starters, first fully padded practice Morris gave some updates on the team's plans for training camp and the preseason. The Falcons will hold their first fully padded practice on Tuesday, allowing players to get acclimated for the first few days. As for the preseason, Morris didn't give a concrete answer on his plan for playing starters but indicated the team would take a similar approach to one they used last year. Atlanta was fairly cautious with its starters in 2024, so expect the same this time around. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of training camp
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Falcons wide receiver signs with Las Vegas Raiders
Former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett signs with Las Vegas Raiders as camp begins The Las Vegas Raiders have signed former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to their roster just in time for the start of NFL training camp. Dorsett, a former first-round draft pick, spent last season on the Falcons' practice squad and did not appear in a single game. After initially signing a reserve/futures contract with Atlanta over the offseason, Dorsett was released by the team in May to make room for linebacker Caleb Johnson. A former Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Dorsett joins a revamped Raiders team led by former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. It will be the veteran wide receiver's second stint with the Raiders, and second time playing for Carroll. Dorsett, 32, has played for eight different teams since being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. His best season came in 2016 when he recorded 33 catches for 528 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons did not select a wide receiver in the 2025 NFL draft, but they signed former San Jose State wideout Nick Nash as an undrafted free agent. Nash recorded 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns during his final collegiate season. Atlanta's rookies and veterans reported to training camp on Wednesday and the team's first official practice is set for Thursday morning. Check out the Falcons' updated 90-man roster and open practice schedule for training camp.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bijan Robinson, Michael Penix Jr. among Falcons' highest-graded players
Chris Lindstrom, Bijan Robinson and Michael Penix Jr. were Atlanta's highest-graded players in 2024, per PFF The Atlanta Falcons are less than two weeks away from kicking off their second training camp under head coach Raheem Morris. Despite recording their highest win total since 2017, the Falcons' 8-9 record wasn't enough to snap their seven-year postseason drought. As the team prepares for the 2025 season, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is set to lead what should be an explosive offense. Penix appeared in five games (three starts) last season, finishing with Atlanta's third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (87.9). Veteran safety Jessie Bates III will look to guide a revamped defense featuring multiple rookie starters. Bates is Atlanta's top-rated returning defensive starter, while Chris Lindstrom is the team's highest-graded player overall (93.5). Check out the Falcons' 10 highest-graded players (based on 2024 overall season grade) below. Falcons PFF grades: 10 highest-graded players - READ: Falcons 53-man roster projection: Pre-training camp edition
NBC Sports
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Michael Penix: Making playoffs is what will make a successful season
The release of Quarterback on Netflix this week shifted attention back to the Falcons' decision to turn to Michael Penix as their starting quarterback last season. Kirk Cousins is one of the subjects of the show and Cousins said that he felt the Falcons 'misled' him by drafting Penix early in the first round after signing Cousins as a free agent earlier in the offseason. That draft choice meant Cousins's days as the starter in Atlanta were numbered and the Falcons made the move with three games left in the regular season. That didn't leave much time for Penix to get his feet wet, but he's not looking at 2025 as a delayed rookie season devoted to acclimating himself to the NFL. During an interview with former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for the team's website, Penix made it clear that he'll only view the coming year as a success if it ends with the team playing its first playoff game since the 2017 season. 'Postseason. Got to get into the postseason,' Penix said. 'Seeing the Dirty Bird Nest and all the little highlights and fans. Man, they get rocking whenever we winning. So, I definitely want to get back to that. Winning football games so we can have the city turnt.' The 2017 season was also the last time the Falcons finished a year with a winning record, so making good on his goal would put Penix on the right track for a long run as the leading man in Atlanta.
