The day many were anticipating is now here. The Atlanta Falcons have benched starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of former Washington Huskies signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.
Head coach Raheem Morris released an official statement on Tuesday evening ahead of the team’s upcoming game against the New York Giants.
“After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix 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.”
The 24-year-old was selected with the No. 8 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2024 NFL draft, and he’s got the chance to make a major statement with Atlanta in the playoff hunt.
Penix had a standout career at Washington, completing 65.4 percent of his passes with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his final season. He also tallied a CFB-high 4,903 passing yards.
Social media reacts to Penix being named starter
Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr fighting for a starting job somewhere next season. pic.twitter.com/U0mll3SLV9
— Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport) December 18, 2024
Kirk cousins after he was told he’s being benched for Michael penix knowing he’s now getting paid 180 million to not get hit pic.twitter.com/6Q9xixHqXs
— John (@iam_johnw) December 18, 2024
Kirk Cousins set the single game passing record for the Falcons this season
Wild. https://t.co/vu0vbVWX41
— Football (@BostonConnr) December 18, 2024
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180M contract this offseason with $90M fully-guaranteed. He will head to the bench after starting just 14 games. https://t.co/CESkSbcUpQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2024
Atlanta drafting Michael Penix was smart. Signing 35-year-old Kirk Cousins coming off an Achilles tear to $100 million guaranteed *2 weeks before* they locked in on Penix is one of the weirdest decisions in NFL history. https://t.co/6Xo25ZwF34
— Danny Heifetz (@Danny_Heifetz) December 18, 2024
It will be interesting to see how things shake out with Penix making his first NFL start against the Giants in Week 16. Sunday’s game is set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.