Kirk Cousins benched: Why the Falcons had to start Michael Penix Jr.

Kirk Cousins benched: Why the Falcons had to start Michael Penix Jr.

 

Kirk Cousins has thrown 18 touchdown passes and 16 picks in his first season with the Falcons. His 52.7 QBR ranks 22nd in the league. Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire

 

 

“If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him, and if he sits for four or five years, that’s a great problem to have because we’re doing so well at that position.”

 

That’s what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said about rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. when he shocked the NFL world by drafting him with the No. 8 pick in April, mere weeks after signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.

 

Unfortunately, Fontenot and the Falcons won’t have that problem. Fifteen weeks into Cousins’ first season in Atlanta, he has been benched for his performance and the franchise is turning the keys over to Penix.

 

The 7-7 Falcons are still in the NFC South hunt, but their lead on the division crumbled during a 1-4 stretch in which Cousins threw only one touchdown pass to nine interceptions and took 11 sacks. They had high aspirations for this season; remember, coach Raheem Morris also said, “We won’t be picking this high again,” in reference to the eighth overall pick that secured Penix. But with 36-year-old Cousins at the helm, they were clearly going to fall short of a playoff berth.

 

The sprint to Penix this late in the season is a desperate scramble for immediate improvement with a resource that was initially viewed as a long-term investment. The Falcons are drawing out of their 401(k) to pay off their credit card bill. But Penix was burning a hole in their pocket. That’s the struggle with the ever-patient draft-and-develop approach — organizations are always wondering what’s behind Door No. 2.