Less than a full 24 hours after being unceremoniously benched for a rookie, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said he would offer Michael Penix Jr. to help as best as possible.
Cousins has struggled in his transition from Minnesota to Atlanta this season after signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons.
After a poor performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, Falcons coach Raheem Morris pulled the plug on Cousins and will now start the University of Washington rookie.
Speaking to reporters after the decision was made, Cousins said he understood the choice made and said he would offer Penix assistance. He added that he spoke to Penix after Morris benched him.
“It’s professional football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, and unfortunately I didn’t play consistently enough to that standard,” Cousins said Wednesday in his first comments since the change.
“And so it is what it is, and you run with it and now you’re still getting ready – ‘one play away’ kind of thing – and supporting Mike and trying to help our team find a way to get this last to win three to get to the playoffs, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Kirk Cousins said he spoke to his replacement on the phone after being benched
After Cousins’ struggles, Atlanta will hand the reins to rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins said he spoke with Morris on the phone Tuesday evening, where he was told Penix would begin the process.
After the phone call ended, the cousins called Penix.
“Just let him know I’m in his corner and supporting him and trying to help him in any way I can,” Cousins said.
When asked why he felt he had to call him, Cousins simply replied, “I like to shoot elephants in the room, so I just wanted to shoot one.”
Penix revealed he was shopping at Costco with his girlfriend when Morris called him to tell him he would be the starter.
“As you can imagine, there was some nerves and excitement, but I’m just super blessed to be in this position, super blessed to be on this team for this opportunity,” Penix said.
With cries from the fan base for a change, Morris pulled the trigger and will now start Penix when the Falcons host the New York Giants this week.
It makes the Falcons’ decision to sign the 36-year-old Cousins this summer look even worse now than it did when his contract was agreed to.
Cousins put on a terrible performance on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal was nixed the moment the Falcons announced it — especially considering $100 million of that was guaranteed money.
With the first season of that contract not even over yet, Penix has been thrust into the starting role at a time when the Falcons likely need to win to reach the playoffs.
Cousins currently ranks seventh in the NFL in passing yards (3,508) and 13th in completion percentage.
But his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 18-16 ranks terribly compared to other NFL starters, especially when it comes to playoff-contending teams.
The decision comes after Cousins’ unimpressive performance against one of the league’s worst teams: the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Monday Night Football, Cousins completed just 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception in an ugly 15–9 win.
Earlier on Tuesday, Morris publicly criticized Cousins for his poor performance.
“He has to play better and of course you have to go back, you have to look at everything,” Morris told reporters. ‘But he wants to play better. He has to play better. We have to find a way to get him to play better.”
Against a team he should have handled easily, he passed for 112 yards, a TD and an interception
Penix was selected eighth overall in this year’s NFL draft after a college campaign that ended with him leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan Wolverines.
The Falcons shocked analysts and fans when they selected Penix, especially since it came about a month after they signed Cousins.
Cousins himself admitted that he was “stunned” when the organization drafted the rookie. Now that decision appears to be paying off for the Falcons.
According to Spotracthe Falcons have a potential out in 2026 that leaves them with $35 million in dead cap space if they decide to part ways with Cousins.
If Cousins somehow makes the roster in 2026, he will receive a $10 million bonus. The same bonus applies if he is on the roster in 2027.
Cousins’ deal also includes a full no-trade clause.
He is currently making a base salary of $12.5 million this season, which could increase to $27.5 million next season.
Atlanta (7-7) has had a mixed bag in the last three games of their season.
The decision to draft Penix eighth overall, which was questionable at the time, appears to be paying off for Atlanta as they look to make a playoff push with three games remaining.
They host the Giants and Carolina Panthers next week in their final game of the campaign – with a tough road trip to the Washington Commanders in between.
The team leading the division – the 8-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – has a much easier path to the division title.
The Bucs play their final road game of the regular season this week against the struggling Dallas Cowboys before hosting the Panthers and then the New Orleans Saints.
With Tampa Bay favored to win all three of these games, that means the Falcons may have to hope for a Wild Card berth.
Currently, Atlanta sits in ninth place in the NFC playoff – behind the eighth-place Seattle Seahawks and the seventh-place Commanders in the final Wild Card spot.
According to ESPN, the Falcons have a 29 percent chance of making the playoffs.