Kirk Cousins is amid a five-game stretch in which he’s thrown just one touchdown and nine interceptions. Absolutely unacceptable quarterback play, especially from a 13-year veteran; yet somehow, it doesn’t even feel like those numbers do his poor performance justice.
Cousins looks like he’s seeing ghosts out on the field. His decision-making has been that of an overwhelmed rookie, while his physical traits continue to look deteriorated. If Michael Penix Jr. is what he’s cracked up to be, it’s past time to move to the rookie, and NFL insiders across the board continue to report the Falcons have a lot of faith in this year’s 8th overall pick.
“I talked to a lot of people in that building and they love Michael Penix.. They think he is going to be tremendous,” Dan Orlovsky said on Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show.Â
A statement NFL insider James Palmer echoed.Â
“No lies told. The Falcons absolutely love Penix. They think the world of him.”
This comes a little more than a week after The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported Penix has been “lighting it up” at practice.
To this point, the Falcons continuing to put their faith in Kirk Cousins has been somewhat defensible. They just handed him a $180 million contract with $100 million in guarantees a little over six months ago. They are going to owe him a considerable amount of money next season whether he plays or not. In an ideal world, Cousins would figure it out, and that money would not go to waste.
However, after this five-game stretch, I don’t see a scenario where the Falcons can justify bringing Kirk Cousins back as the starter next season. He’s been that abysmal, and the Falcons have a talented rookie just sitting on the sidelines. It’s time to see what Michael Penix Jr. can bring to the table.
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Photographer: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire
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