Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris announced Tuesday night that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is headed to the bench.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement released by the team. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
In 14 games this season, the 36-year-old Cousins has completed 303-of-453 passes (66.9%) for 3,508 yards with an abysmal 18/16 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His 52.7 QBR is ranked #22 out of NFL starting QBs.
Cousins helped the Falcons get off to a 6-3 start. He threw for 509 yards and four TDs in a 36-30 overtime win over Tampa Bay.
In Atlanta’s last five games, however, it has limped to a 1-4 record to fall one game back of the Buccaneers going into the last three games of the year. Although the Falcons would win a tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, the Bucs are going to be favored in their last three contests and pulling even with them might not be possible.
During Atlanta’s five-game slump, Cousins has been atrocious, throwing only one TD pass compared to nine interceptions. In a 17-13 home loss to the Chargers, he was intercepted four times, including a 61-yard pick-six that handed Jim Harbaugh’s team its only TD of the game.
Atlanta ended its four-game slide with Monday’s ugly 15-9 win over the Raiders. Cousins played poorly, though, completing only 11-of-17 throws for 112 yards and one TD with one pick. He was sacked three times.
Cousins was playing great football last season before sustaining a torn right Achilles when he was with the Minnesota Vikings. Despite coming off the major injury at his age, the Falcons inked him to a four-year deal worth $180 million. Nearly $100 million of that money is guaranteed.
Cousins is due $62.5 million next season.
Atlanta shockingly selected Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old southpaw led the Washington Huskies to the finals of the College Football Playoff in 2023.
Penix played his first four seasons of college ball at Indiana, but he sustained season-ending injuries in all four years. He transferred to Washington ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Penix promptly posted career-best numbers, connecting on 65.3 percent of his passes for 4,641 yards with a 31/8 TD-INT ratio. He added four rushing TDs as well.
In 2023, Penix completed 65.4 percent of his throws for 4,903 yards with a 36/11 TD-INT ratio. He also had three rushing TDs.
Penix has appeared in three games for Atlanta in mop-up duty this season. He’s completed 3-of-5 passes for 38 yards.
As of Wednesday morning, most books had the Falcons listed as 8.5-point home favorites vs. the Giants. The number was nine at most spots yesterday, so it’s moved down by one-half point. The total has moved from 42 points down to 40.5.