With their playoff hopes fading fast, the Atlanta Falcons benched $180 million quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. ahead of a Sunday meeting with the visiting New York Giants.
Atlanta (7-7) looked to be a shoo-in six weeks ago to appear in the postseason for the first time since 2017. After a Week 9 home win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Falcons, with a 6-3 record, sat atop the NFC South with a two-game lead. With three weeks left, Atlanta is on the outside looking in as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the division by a game.
Hoping Cousins would be the answer to the franchise’s playoff drought, Atlanta signed the veteran quarterback to a four-year contract in March, with $100 million guaranteed. The two sides looked to be a match, until Weeks 10-15, when Cousins averaged just 236 yards per game and totaled one touchdown pass and nine interceptions.
Following an ugly 15-9 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, when Cousins completed 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, a touchdown and a pick, Atlanta coach Raheem Morris announced the team was going in a different direction.
Penix, the eighth overall pick out of Washington, will start for the first time in his professional career on Sunday. The 24-year-old has completed 3 of 5 passes for 38 yards in garbage time during two losses.
“Obviously, we’ve got to play better at that position and we want to play better at that position, so that’s why we made that decision,” Morris said. “Michael’s been the number two, he’s been one snap away all year. He’s been grinding away, learning from Kirk, being around the coaches. … This definitely has some financial implications for us, but we’re always going to make football decisions in order to win football games.”
Cousins, who passed for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions this year, knows that he hasn’t lived up to expectations so far.
“There’s a standard that I have for myself and the team has for me that unfortunately I wasn’t playing up to consistently,” Cousins said. “Now you just support Michael and try to help this team be able to find a way to win these last three and get in the playoffs. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Giants certainly aren’t looking at any playoff scenarios, as they are firmly in the hunt for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. New York (2-12) holds the NFC’s worst record and is tied with the Raiders in the league basement.
Losers of a franchise-tying nine straight games, the Giants also have had their fair share of problems under center.
After releasing Daniel Jones in November, New York has plugged in Tommy DeVito, Tim Boyle and Drew Lock as it limps to the finish line. Lock (heel/elbow) missed the team’s 35-14 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week, but Giants coach Brian Daboll said the Missouri product “should be OK to start this week.”
Daboll, who is 17-30-1 over three years on the job, was asked about the possibility of owner John Mara firing him and general manager Joe Schoen at the conclusion of the season.
“I just focus on things that I can control,” Daboll said. “(John) and I have good conversations every week. We have a number of conversations about a lot of different things that I’ll keep private. … We’re just getting ready here for the Falcons.”
Atlanta placed kicker Younghoe Koo, who was 25-for-34 on field-goal attempts this year, on injured reserve Wednesday due to a hip injury. The club signed Riley Patterson off the Browns’ practice squad to replace him.
Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (ribs), who block a punts and got his hand on another in the Monday win at Las Vegas, was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, as were tight ends Ross Dwelley (ankle) and Charlie Woerner (quad).
For New York, linebackers Brian Burns (ankle/neck), Patrick Johnson (knee) and Bobby Okereke (back) each missed the Wednesday practice. Guard Aaron Stinnie (concussion) and cornerback Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) were also out.
–Field Level Media
