The Falcons made a major decision Tuesday, as head coach Raheem Morris announced that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will start in place of Kirk Cousins moving forward.
The decision comes after Atlanta narrowly edged out the Raiders on Monday night, 15-9, to end a four-game losing streak. Penix is Atlanta's first-round pick from the 2024 NFL draft, and he will make the first start of his career at home against the Giants on Sunday.
Why did Atlanta make this move? The Sporting News examines the Falcons' quarterback situation, from their splashy free-agent signing in Cousins to their rookie backup-turned-starter in Penix.
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Why was Kirk Cousins benched?
The 36-year-old Cousins has struggled lately, totaling just one touchdown and nine interceptions in his last five games. The Falcons are 1-4 in that five-game stretch, going from NFC South leaders to one game behind the Buccaneers for the division lead.
Atlanta closes the season against the Giants, Commanders and Panthers, but they need a strong finish to make the playoffs.
Kirk Cousins contract
In the offseason, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons. In the deal, Cousins is owed $100 million guaranteed, and is set to count as $25 million against the cap this year, $40 million next year, and $57.5 million in each of the last two years.
If the Falcons were to release Cousins in the offseason as a post-June 1 designation, Atlanta would incur $40 million in dead cap for 2025 and $25 million in dead cap for 2026.
Michael Penix NFL draft
The Falcons famously drafted Penix at No. 8 overall despite signing Cousins to a four-year contract just a few months earlier. Penix played for six years in college, the first four at Indiana and the final two at Washington. In 2023, Penix helped lead the Huskies to the CFP National Championship game, winning the Pac-12 and the Cotton Bowl in the process.
Penix was the fourth quarterback drafted in the 2024 draft, and he was one of six first-round quarterbacks this year. He will be the fifth of those quarterbacks to start a game this season, joining Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix. (The sixth, J.J. McCarthy, sustained a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.)
Michael Penix college stats
| Year | School | Games | Completion Percentage | Passing Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
| 2018 | Indiana | 3 | 61.8% | 219 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Indiana | 6 | 68.8% | 1,394 | 10 | 4 |
| 2020 | Indiana | 6 | 56.4% | 1,645 | 14 | 4 |
| 2021 | Indiana | 5 | 53.7% | 939 | 4 | 7 |
| 2022 | Washington | 13 | 65.3% | 4,641 | 31 | 8 |
| 2023 | Washington | 15 | 65.4% | 4,903 | 36 | 11 |
Penix dealt with several injuries while at Indiana, which is why he played in just 20 games over four years in Bloomington. During his time at Washington, Penix led the Big Ten in passing yards in both seasons, and he led all of FBS in passing yards in 2023.
