Cousins has tailed off considerably after leading the Falcons to a 4-2 start. Over his last five appearances, the 36-year-old has thrown a mere one touchdown to nine interceptions while also fumbling five times. Consequently, the Falcons have lost four of their last five games and surrendered their lead in the NFC South. For the season, Cousins is pulling off the ignominious feat of leading the NFL in interceptions (16) AND fumbles (13).Coach Morris has named Michael Penix Jr. the starting quarterback moving forward
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 18, 2024
Despite inking Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in March, the Falcons drafted Washington Huskies quarterback Penix with the eighth overall pick in April. Penix appeared in 20 games over four years for the Indiana Hoosiers before emerging as a star with the Washington Huskies in 2022. Over 28 starts, Penix threw for a Pac-12-best 9544 passing yards as well as 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
Ultimately, Cousins' days as the Falcons' starter were numbered from the moment the team drafted Penix. That Cousins lasted as long as he did speaks to the realities of his contract situation: cutting him next year would saddle the Falcons with an outrageous $65 million in dead money. In a perfect world for the Falcons, Cousins would have played well enough to either become a trade asset or to merit starting in 2025.
If Penix emerges as a significant upgrade, swallowing Cousins' cap penalty wouldn't be ideal, but it won't be totally unprecedented. The Denver Broncos cut quarterback Russell Wilson last season despite a record $85 million dead money penalty before eventually drafting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix 12th overall. They're sitting on a 9-5 record this season, even with Nix only averaging 212.3 passing yards per game and 5.76 net yards per passing attempt.
As for Cousins, this probably marks the end of his career as a franchise quarterback. If Penix falls on his face over the next few weeks, the Falcons could hold onto Cousins and head into the 2025 offseason with a quarterback competition on their hands, but that's a remote possibility. The odds are that Cousins will be looking for a new home next season and will have to settle for a role as a transitional starter or even a backup.
Photo Credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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