The Atlanta Falcons finally stopped the bleeding.
The team was on a four-game losing streak, and a date with the struggling Las Vegas Raiders was just what it needed to get back on its feet.
Unfortunately, even though they won and kept their postseason hopes alive, Kirk Cousins’ performance still left plenty to be desired.
With that in mind, head coach Raheem Morris made the difficult decision to bench his veteran quarterback and turn to first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.
When asked about that, the first-year coach claimed that this was a “football decision,” adding that the move would be permanent (via Miles Garrett).
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants,” Morris said.
Raheem Morris on the decision to start Michael Penix Jr.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game… pic.twitter.com/hzFx8yFbwK
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) December 18, 2024
This could mark the end of Cousins’ tenure in Georgia.
He signed a four-year contract worth $180 million in the offseason.
That’s why it was such a head-scratching move to see them take a quarterback in the first round, much less one that was 24 years old already.
That led people to speculate that Cousins was never meant to be there for the long run.
Even so, not many people saw this coming.
Cousins’ debacle cost the team multiple wins.
During the four-game losing streak, he did not throw a touchdown pass and was intercepted eight times.
He’s pressing, and it reached a point in which the team didn’t seem to trust him to make even the simplest passes, turning to Bijan Robinson or Tyler Allgeier instead.
Now, it’ll be Penix’s turn to run the show and to prove to the doubters why he was still a first-round-caliber talent despite his age.
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