On April 25, many in Detroit were scratching their heads in disbelief, when the Falcons, with the eighth pick of the NFL Draft, chose to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The young star from the University of Washington, who had just lost the college football final to Michigan, had several qualities to be considered a good first-round prospect, but what caught everyone’s attention was that Atlanta had signed a four-year, $180 million contract with veteran Kirk Cousins weeks earlier.
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Why did the Falcons use their first-round pick on a quarterback if they already had Cousins instead of using it on more urgent positions, such as a wide receiver or offensive tackle?
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Now Atlanta's decision seems a bit more reasonable, since Penix Jr. was named the starter for the remaining three games of the season due to Cousins' poor performance, with the hope of making it to the playoffs.
Why did the Falcons choose to send Cousins to the bench?
With a lackluster 15-9 victory on Monday over the Raiders (one of the worst teams of the 2024 NFL season), the Falcons ended a four-game losing streak that had dimmed their chances of making it to the postseason.
In the last five games, Cousins threw just one touchdown and, on the contrary, opposing teams managed to get nine interceptions. He leads the NFL with 16 interceptions.
"After a review, we have made the decision that Michael Penix Jr. will be the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons from now on," Morris said in a statement on Tuesday night. "This was a sports decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the Giants."
Fortunately for Penix Jr. and Atlanta, their next game is against the other worst team in the league, but their chances of making it to the playoffs are slim. In addition to winning the three remaining games, they need either the Commanders (for a wildcard spot) or the Buccaneers (for the NFC South Division title) to lose at least two of their remaining games.
Penix Jr. has appeared in only two games this season and with few snaps, completing 3 out of 5 passes for 38 yards.
What will happen now with Cousins' future?
Cousins had a strong start to the season, leading the Falcons to a 6-3 record and first place in the division. He has completed 66.9% of his passes, exactly matching his career standard over 13 years. He has thrown for 3,508 yards, but his ratio is 18 touchdown passes to 16 interceptions.
Out of the 180 million dollars that the Falcons committed to convince Cousins, $100 million are guaranteed, and they also gave him a signing bonus of $50 million.
However, since 75% of that guaranteed money has already been paid to Cousins, his contract for the next season will be $27.5 million, giving Atlanta some room to trade him if Penix Jr. performs well.
Facing a 2025 Draft with not much talent at the quarterback position, several teams could turn to a usually reliable player like Kirk Cousins, including the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns.