Michael Penix Jr. Ascends to Falcons’ QB1 Position as Kirk Cousins Struggles; Set to Start Against Giants
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The Atlanta Falcons have announced a significant quarterback change, promoting rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. to the starting lineup amid Kirk Cousins’ recent struggles over the last five games.
Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed the move, stating, “After review, we have decided that Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback going forward. This was a football decision, and our focus is on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
The decision to shift to Penix Jr. was anticipated given Cousins’ lackluster performance.
Cousins, 36, has endured a rough month, throwing just one touchdown against nine interceptions and taking 11 sacks over the past five games. The Falcons have managed only a 1-4 record during this stretch, narrowly escaping a fifth consecutive loss against the struggling Las Vegas Raiders with a 15-9 victory, thanks to Jesse Bates II’s game-ending interception.
Bill Barnwell@billbarnwell
The Falcons essentially gave up on the pass during first-and-10 last night, highlighting their lack of faith in Cousins. They’ll end up paying around $85 million for a handful of decent starts, which is a disaster. https://t.co/2oCTuDpxG9
Jason Reid@JReidESPN
Kirk left Raheem no choice. It’s not ideal with Cousins’ contract, and you’d rather not turn to a rookie with the chance of winning the division still alive. But again, Kirk left Raheem no choice. https://t.co/FjTT1SMYhv
The Falcons currently hold a 7-7 record for the season, trailing one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South and two games behind the Washington Commanders for the final Wild Card spot. A change was necessary to improve their playoff hopes.
Penix was selected to be the franchise’s future quarterback, raising questions about the wisdom of signing Cousins to a four-year, $160 million contract in the first place.
Now, if Penix maintains his position as the starter, the Falcons will need to consider whether they can find a trade partner for Cousins in the offseason. Alternatively, they may have to carry his significant salary or release him, which would create dead cap space. One complicating factor is Cousins’ no-trade clause.
Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
The structure of Kirk Cousins’s contract may allow for a trade; he is set to make a reasonable $27.5 million next year, which is all the guaranteed money left on his deal. https://t.co/sVBjO6MZ3T
Tom Pelissero@TomPelissero
The Falcons are paying Kirk Cousins $62.5 million this season as part of the four-year, $180M deal he signed in March. He has $27.5M fully guaranteed for 2025, and he carries a no-trade clause. Today’s decision signals the beginning of the Michael Penix Jr. era in Atlanta.
If Penix experiences difficulties in the upcoming games, the Falcons can opt to keep Cousins for an additional season as a backup and consider releasing him before the 2026 season when his dead cap amount could decrease to $25 million, down from $65 million if they let him go this offseason.
At this juncture, it seems that the Falcons are firmly in the Penix camp. Cousins had his opportunity but ultimately fell short.
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