Subscribe
Follow Us
As the Atlanta Falcons will take on the New York Giants this Sunday, there will be a new quarterback under center as Kirk Cousins has been benched for Michael Penix Jr., the rookie taken with the seventh overall pick. As Cousins broke his silence following the Falcons' announcement, he would also speak about his future with the organization.
Cousins is currently experiencing a rough part of the season as besides barely scraping by the Las Vegas Raiders last Monday, he had a four-game stretch where he had zero touchdown passes and eight interceptions. The Falcons veteran signal-caller would be asked about the future and say that after the season is the time to have “those conversations” and emphasize he “didn't forget how to play,” according to Tori McElhaney.
“It's one day at a time right now. The offseason is when those conversations happen,” Cousins said. “I didn't forget how to play quarterback. … I didn't forget how to play.”
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris wouldn't rule out a quarterback change after the 15-9 win over the Raiders, but the team made the official decision on Tuesday. A statement would read that Penix will take over starting quarterback duties starting Sunday against the Giants, as said before.
“After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in the statement. “This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.”
Falcons' Raheem Morris explains the quarterback change
People originally questioned the decision of the team to draft Penix with the seventh overall pick in the last NFL Draft, where just in that offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a sizable contract. With the inefficiencies, it is possible that the team saw the current situation incoming and wanted to get their possible future as Morris spoke Tuesday about the change that shocked the football world.
“We didn't play particularly well at the quarterback position,” Morris said via the team's website. “We didn't play well (Monday) at that spot. I like to be open and honest about those things. It's always going to be those question marks. It's always going to be those question marks when it comes to head coach when it comes to the quarterback. And you got to be really transparent about it. We got to play better. I think that's the thing that's got to be put out there, that we got to play better, and that's the thing that's got to be addressed. This thing's got to happen in order for us to find ways to win versus our next opponent, which is the New York Giants.”
So far this season, Cousins has thrown for 3,508 yards (seventh in the NFL) to go along with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as with three games left, it could be the end of the year for the 36-year-old. The Falcons are still in the playoff hunt and even one game off from the NFC South if they can stack wins in the last three games.
Atlanta is 7-7, which puts them second to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are 8-6, as Penix can shock people and lead the team to the postseason with some help from the outside.
