The Atlanta Falcons (7-7) are moving on to a different starting quarterback, and Kirk Cousins is heading to the bench. Despite the Falcons beating the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night 15-9, it was not enough for Cousins to keep the starting position in Atlanta. He was 11 for 17, with 112 yards passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Michael Penix Jr. was the Atlanta Falcons’ 8th pick in the draft this year. He led the Washington Huskies to a national championship last season. In his final year with the Huskies, he completed 65.4% of his passes, with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 4,903 passing yards were the most in the nation.
Atlanta Falcons Moving Forward with Penix Jr.
Cousins came to Atlanta this year with high hopes for the team to improve and make the playoffs, but instead, the Falcons are on the outside looking in for the playoffs and are a .500 team. He has clearly not been healthy. Multiple times over the past few weeks, Cousins has been spotted struggling to piece together the footwork for different running plays. He has moved awkwardly in the backfield at times, chucking the ball toward Bijan Robinson, and the offense has been looking sub-par to horrible.
Last season, Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles injury in Minnesota before being traded to the Falcons in the offseason. It has shown that his footwork is off, and he is not the same quarterback he was last season. Now, it will be rookie Penix who will start Sunday against the New York Giants.
Head Coach Raheem Morris said, “After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback moving forward, This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
Cousins acknowledged after Monday night’s game that he needs to play better and that these conversations will certainly happen at the quarterback position. Cousins is completing 64.7% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions. He also has 12 fumbles, tied for most in the NFL.
Morris has great players, including wide receiver Drake London, running back Robinson, and tight end Kyle Pitts. He hopes that Penix Jr. can get the job done and that the Falcons can at least finish this season above .500 and end on a positive note.
Final Thoughts
Even though the Atlanta Falcons season is most likely over as the NFL season wraps up in the next few weeks, they are moving forward with rookie Michael Penix Jr. to see how he can rejuvenate their offense. Despite trading for Kirk Cousins and signing him to a $180 million deal, the Falcons also drafted Penix Jr as the No. 8th pick in the draft. Critics thought the Falcons were crazy for drafting a quarterback after trading for Cousins, but it does not look like it was a bad move the way now.
Penix Jr. will have a lot to prove to see if he is Atlanta’s future, and the Falcons can build their team around him. Morris is also hoping for a better performance from his team on Sunday when they go up against the New York Giants. As of late, the Giants are one of the worst teams in the NFL at 2-12.
