The Atlanta Falcons shocked the league when they selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Penix had quickly risen up draft boards after his final college season for Washington, so taking the quarterback in the first round shouldn’t have been surprising.
However, his selection was confusing because the Falcons had just signed Kirk Cousins to a huge four-year contract as a free agent.
It seemed like a wasted pick as Penix was projected to sit for a couple of years behind Cousins, but the veteran’s poor play led to him getting benched.
Head coach Raheem Morris named Penix the starter, and though the move didn’t result in a playoff appearance, it did give the franchise a new direction.
Running back Bijan Robinson benefitted from Penix being under center, though he did note an interesting habit from his quarterback.
“When I tell you this man doesn’t take off his durag, he does not take it off. … We were going into the sauna and you usually take it off. … Bro was just in the sauna, durag on. I was like, ‘Mike, bro, you’ve gotta take it off at some point. I mean how many durags are we gonna use in a week?’” Robinson said, via Bryce Lewis.
#Falcons RB Bijan Robinson says Michael Penix Jr. never takes his durag off ?
“We were going into the sauna and you usually take it off…bro was just in the sauna durag on. I was like ‘Mike, bro you’ve gotta take it off at some point’. I mean how many durags are we gonna use in… pic.twitter.com/eVniORvExL
— Bryce Lewis (@Bryce_Lewis86) January 31, 2025
Normally, people wear a durag to preserve a hairstyle or as a fashion statement, so it’s funny to hear Robinson talk about Penix keeping his on no matter where he is.
Every player has their quirks, and though it might seem odd for Penix to keep his durag on at all times, it did not affect his play on the field.
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