Raheem Morris Explains Falcons' Decision to Bench Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix Jr.

Ryan Phillips | 1 Hour Ago

The Falcons made Penix the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL draft. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons made a big move this week, benching veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. On Wednesday, the team's head coach addressed the media and explained the decision.

Raheem Morris opened his press conference by saying Cousins, who signed with Atlanta in the offseason, handled the move with class. He said, "Any time you take a step down, a demotion ... it's not gonna be met with great appreciation. But Kirk is a professional, he's a pro, he's a man. He handled it with class."

Order Now. SIP January Year In Review. Get Sports Illustrated's Year in Review issue. dark

Morris continued, saying Cousins's turnovers were a big part of the decision. The 36-year-old has a league-high 16 interceptions on the season.

When asked why the Falcons made the move now, Morris said the team wanted better quarterback play and thought they had a chance to play better than Cousins was giving them.

Morris on why now: We have been digging as much as we could dig in order to make things work. ... We wanted to play better at QB and we felt like we had a chance to play better. #Falcons

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 18, 2024

Additionally, Morris claimed it was a "football decision" and added that owner Arthur Blank was involved in the process. "He's always going to be involved in all those types of things," Morris said. He finished by saying the franchise brought Cousins in this offseason because it believed it could win a championship with him under center.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in March. That contract carried $100 million in guaranteed money. A few weeks later, Atlanta shocked the football world by selecting Penix with the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL draft. A quarterback controversy was inevitable.

The Falcons are fighting for a playoff spot at 7-7, and Cousins has not lived up to his contract. In 14 games this season he has completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His passer rating (88.6) and QBR (52.7) are among the worst for regular starting quarterbacks in the league.

Over the last five weeks, things have gotten worse for Cousins and the Falcons. He has just one touchdown and nine interceptions as Atlanta has gone 1-4 in that stretch.

A change to Penix was inevitable at this point. Morris and Co. have finally made the switch.

---

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed