The Atlanta Falcons are struggling to stay afloat in the NFC South, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is at the center of the storm. With a 6-6 record, the Falcons are in desperate need of a spark, but Cousins’ recent performances have been lackluster.

Cousins didn’t see that coming. On April 25, during the first night of the NFL Draft, everything changed for the Falcons quarterback. Heading home from a draft party at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Cousins got a call from offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. The message was that Atlanta was about to select Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick. Moments later, the rookie QB officially became a Falcon, leaving Cousins “stunned and disappointed,” according to his agent, Mike McCartney.

The shock reverberated beyond Cousins. McCartney admitted he didn’t expect the team to go after a quarterback in the first round, even though discussions had happened. “We knew it was possible, but not like this,” he shared. The move raised questions about Cousins’ future, especially as the veteran quarterback struggles to regain form. Atlanta’s bold decision suggests they may be looking ahead, leaving fans wondering if the clock is ticking on Cousins’s time as the Falcons’ leader.

The Falcons are now faced with the decision of whether to stick with Cousins or switch to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. “I’m ready,” Penix Jr. declared, putting pressure on Cousins to step up his game. With the Vikings looming on the horizon, the Falcons must decide whether to give Cousins another chance or hand the reins to Penix Jr.

The drafting of Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has added fuel to the fire, with many calling for the rookie to take over. Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ legendary quarterback, has weighed in on the debate, saying, “I think you’ve gotta stick with Kirk… I just don’t think this is the week to do it for Michael Penix.” Definitely, this has been a bumpy ride for Cousins.

Kirk Cousins: From hopeful savior to Falcons’ Achilles heel?

Kirk Cousins’s Atlanta journey was destined to be dramatic. Signing with a torn Achilles? A bold move. Watching the Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall weeks later? A gut punch. And now, mid-season, Cousins finds himself in an unprecedented slump, something that got fans and analysts questioning his future.

Once the “steady veteran,” Cousins’s Achilles recovery seems to be haunting him. His arm strength has been under fire, with analyst Brian Baldinger stating, “The arm isn’t the same anymore. The ball is dying on him.” It’s showing on the stat sheet too—no touchdowns since Nov. 3, a streak spanning three games and 104 passes.

The rock-bottom moment? A four-interception disaster against the Chargers, capped by a jump-ball pick in the end zone. “That’s QB 101,” said one NFL evaluator. “It can’t happen.” With seven fourth-quarter interceptions this season, Cousins has the worst late-game passer rating of qualified QBs.

The timeline of struggles deepens: a Saints’ game-ending pick in Week 10, a 38-6 loss to Denver where Cousins barely scratched 173 yards, and now, the pressure of a Minnesota homecoming.

Falcons OC Zac Robinson defended his QB, saying, “The quarterback’s always going to get too much criticism.” But with a playoff berth slipping away, patience is wearing thin in Atlanta.