Is the Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta officially over less than one season in?
The Falcons are benching the veteran quarterback in favour of rookie Michael Penix Jr. against the New York Giants on Sunday, the team announced on Tuesday.
“After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback moving forward,” head coach Raheem 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.”
The move comes less than 24 hours after Atlanta won a Monday Night Football matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, 15-9, in which the offence wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders.
Morris was asked about his starting QB earlier on Tuesday — Cousins threw for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception on Monday — and the head coach emphasized they needed more out of the position.
Although the Falcons snapped a four-game skid with the win, they’ve let their lead in the NFC South slip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the process. Poor quarterback play was a major catalyst for the losing streak.
Cousins leads the league with 16 interceptions, nine of them coming during the last five games. During that same span, the four-time Pro Bowler has thrown just one touchdown pass.
The 36-year-old signed with the Falcons this past off-season, agreeing to a four-year, $180-million deal.
He gets replaced by Penix, who’s yet to start a game for Atlanta. The decision was widely debated when the Falcons selected the 24-year-old with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft after signing Cousins, but the move may just save their season.