The Atlanta Falcons have made a surprising switch at the quarterback position, benching veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Penix Jr. will get his first start as a pro on Sunday against the Giants. The move, announced by the head coach Raheem Morris, doesn’t appear to be temporary.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
Morris made the decision despite the Falcons beating the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 on Monday. While it marked the end of a four-game losing streak, which put the team’s playoff chances in jeopardy, it also featured a struggling performance by Cousins. He went 11 out of 17 on his passes while throwing for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“It’s pro football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that unfortunately, I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said on Wednesday about his benching while also saying he will support Penix Jr. “and trying to help him any way I can.”
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract ahead of 2024 season, believing he will help propel a talented roster to the playoffs. However, the franchise also decided to use a No. 8 pick on Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft to set themselves for the future considering that Cousins turned 36 in August.
The Falcons believed that Cousins would lead the team for the next few years before passing the torch to Penix Jr. However, coming back from an Achilles injury, Cousins was mainly disappointed. While he threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns throughout the first 15 weeks, he also threw a career-high 16 interceptions.
