The Atlanta Falcons have announced that rookie Michael Penix Jr. will take over as the starting quarterback, replacing veteran Kirk Cousins as the team strives for its first playoff appearance since 2017. Head coach Raheem Morris made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday night.
“After review, we have decided that Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris stated. “This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
The Falcons (7-7) snapped a four-game losing streak with a lackluster 15-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. Cousins managed to throw for 112 yards, with one touchdown—his first in five games—but also recorded one interception. The 36-year-old quarterback has struggled recently, throwing nine interceptions over the last five games, which has contributed to his league-leading total of 16 interceptions this season.
Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed in the offseason, was selected by the Falcons as the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft. He ended his touchdown drought with a 30-yard pass to Drake London in the first quarter but had little else to show for his performance against the struggling Raiders. “It’s not where I want to be,” Cousins said of his recent play. “There’s a lot of room for improvement, and we’d like to finish a lot stronger here these last three weeks.”
The decision to switch quarterbacks came just hours after Morris indicated he was not ready to announce this week’s starter. “We talked about it last night,” Morris explained. “There’s no secret. We didn’t play well enough at the quarterback position, and we’ve got to find ways to play better. We need to do whatever is best to win against the Giants.”
This change occurs as the Falcons remain in contention for the NFC South title, sitting just one game behind division leader Tampa Bay, with the tiebreaker in their favor. Penix has seen limited action this season, appearing in only two games and completing 3 of 5 passes for 38 yards. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023, throwing for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while playing for Washington.
Cousins started the season strong, leading the Falcons to a 6-3 record and first place in the division. He has completed 66.9% of his passes, matching his career average, and has thrown for 3,508 yards, but his 18 touchdown passes are offset by 16 interceptions.
Morris acknowledged that Cousins’ recent struggles may have affected his confidence. “I’m not trying to sugarcoat this for him,” Morris said. “When you go through the stress that we’re going through right now, you’re not going to have that same confidence and swagger you had earlier in the season.”
Initially, Morris had planned for Cousins to lead the team this season while allowing Penix to develop for future opportunities. However, he emphasized that there was no downside to starting Penix, given the investment the team has made in him. “You could never say there’s a downside to turning it over to somebody you’ve invested in and who has done everything right since they’ve been here,” Morris noted.
Morris concluded by stating he had been “smart and cautious” in managing the quarterback situation amid Cousins’ recent challenges.
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