San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was the Atlanta Falcons' head coach when the franchise selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
On Sunday, Morris' defense will face Penix and the Falcons' offense when San Francisco travels to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a Week 7 NFC matchup.
This week, Morris reflected on his time with Penix and the young quarterback's potential.
"Loved the kid, loved everything about him," Morris told reporters. "The personality, who he was, the thrower. We were in the business of looking for that guy that can take over for the franchise quarterback, had been through some quarterback purgatory and didn't want to go back in that realm."
Just over a month before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. Cousins spent two seasons in Atlanta before joining the Las Vegas Raiders this past offseason.
Morris explained the thinking behind signing a veteran quarterback while drafting a successor.
"Obviously, we went and got Kirk in free agency and would hope he can take us for a couple of years while Michael sat behind him and learned and developed and grew," Morris shared. "And Michael's right at that point where he's ready to go. Unfortunately, he had some injury history, and he got hurt out here. And then, was able to go back, get Kirk back in, and now he's ready to go.
"He's back healthy, and he's probably everything that you thought and hoped for as far as being a play-action passer, a guy that can push the ball down the field, can make all the throws, go through the whole process. Just one of those guys that I have a lot of appreciation for and love for."
Morris never questioned Penix's ability. The key was getting the young quarterback healthy and giving him an opportunity to showcase his talent.
"When he has been healthy, he's had some explosive games, even as a rookie," Morris said. "I can still see him going into the D.C. game and find a way to get us into that game, make us some big-time plays in order for us to go to overtime.
"And as he started the season last year, had some ups and downs, had some probably more ups than downs, and now you've seen him have a couple really big ups since he's been back and been back in that lineup and changed that team completely."
Penix is coming off a loss to the Chicago Bears in which he threw three touchdown passes without an interception. His performance offered a glimpse of the potential Morris saw in him during their time together in Atlanta.
Morris' familiarity with Penix could benefit the 49ers defense on Sunday, but the quarterback isn't the only major challenge San Francisco must prepare for.
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has emerged as one of the NFL's most dangerous offensive weapons. He is averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season and has added 144 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.
"It's always helpful to know who people are, being around them and being what they are," Morris said. "But I talked about Bijan last year. I talked about him being the best player in the NFL, and he certainly is arguably the best player in the National Football League. He's special. He's one of those guys.
"He's a special talent that we see in this league and can do a bunch of different everything. I compared him to the guy that we happen to be with now (49ers RB Christian McCaffrey), and he's doing nothing but showing us the right way. Those guys train together, they know each other well.
"He's one of those guys that can take this league by storm and do really special things. He's going to present a big-time challenge for us this week, and we've got to go out there and accept it."
Morris has emphasized the importance of containing Robinson when addressing his defensive players this week. The 49ers need to limit his opportunities, swarm him to the ball, and bring him down before he can break into the open field.
"He's as tough as it gets," Morris said. "He runs as fast as he wants. He's going to be patient and find his spots. He's a great human. You can tell him a bunch of different things, a lot about his accolades and what he's been able to do, but they see it on tape.
"And we've got a bunch of competitive guys that look forward to the challenge of playing against great players every single week. So, Bijan presents another challenge for us."
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