Kirk Cousins has had a dismal season for a player who signed big and came to the Atlanta Falcons with a huge name. The big man’s experience is shaky, his 16 interceptions were the most of his career. And that led to an uncharacteristic twist — Cousins got benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. As the Falcons look ahead, it is high time to ask: What’s next for Kirk?

In a no-nonsense statement, GM Terry Fontenot told the fans that Cousins is still a good player even in backup form. “We will take those things as they come. Everyone would have to be good with it. There’s a lot of layers to that. We are very comfortable moving forward with (Kirk Cousins) as backup. Kirk is a great man, and he’s been great support for Mike. We are very comfortable moving with a backup.” This seems like an indication of some change of role for Cousins.  

As Penix helms, Cousins’s loyalty to his fellow QB is not going unnoticed. He’s been here before and with experience in hand. That has helped Penix get comfortable, that he has someone with years of experience behind him. This could be a challenging switch for Cousins. But you know what? When you look at the team, he’s valuable, not just on the field. He’s taught us that being a team player isn’t only passing — you have to build a culture of support, leadership, and collaboration.

The 2024 season of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins began promising and then ended with the drama of a reality show. Once signed to a big contract, Cousins should take the Falcons into the hunt. Rather, his 16 interceptions (which ranked 108th in the league) had many people questioning whether the team had just replaced him with a dimension quarterback. You get the facts: 18 TDs, 16 fumbles, a passer rating of 88.6. For a QB his experience is a bit like making a cake and forgetting the sugar — just off.

And he didn’t have it all bad. Cousins threw for more than 3,500 yards and threw on nearly six out of seven passes. But the turnovers? They were a different story. During one game against the Chargers that will live long in Cousins’ memory, he threw four interceptions and a pick-six, his first four-interception game since 2014. The fans started to wonder if they were watching an old pro or a rookie’s game.

While the Falcons sort out their future with Kirk Cousins, rookie Michael Penix Jr. added some fuel to the quarterback battle.

Michael Penix Jr. makes a statement in a heated QB battle

Atlanta finished their season with 8-9. But there was a bright spot, their rookie Penix Jr. In the last game against the Panthers, he had 21-38 receptions, covering 312 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was a close game, which was decided in the overtime. That speaks volumes about his talent. After the loss, Penix Jr. said, “The message is to continue to believe. Man, we just got to believe,” as a response when asked what message he wants to pass the Falcons fans.

He didn’t stop there. Adding positivity to the gloomy outcome, Penix Jr. added, “There’s a lot to work on, there’s a lot to learn from, and a lot of things that I’m definitely going to go back over and look at throughout this offseason.” Also, talking about his future as Falcons’ QB, he said, “I’m going back to the drawing board to look and see what I can do better.” That’s some confidence there.

Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. read off of two quarterbacks’ playbooks in 2024. And their numbers tell a pretty big story. The veteran Cousins had 14 games, 3,508 passing yards and 18 TDs. Not bad, right? But then there were the 16 interceptions, yikes. His 66.9% completion rate was good, but his interception rate? Not so much. His passer rating of 88.6 was the mark of a man with a bit of star power. But he couldn’t seem to shake the turnover curse.

And then there is Penix Jr, the young kid with the confidence and a chance to be the next big thing. Just 5 games and Penix passed for 775 yards and 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. His 58.1% completion rate was a little low, but what the heck, he’s young and learning. Penix’s passer is just 78.9, which is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s more than enough to get some serious hype for him.

Well, Cousins might be in, but Penix’s on the case. If this season is any guide, it’s the rookie’s place to be in Atlanta.