Michael Penix Jr. replacing Kirk Cousins ​​as the Falcons’ starting QB

Michael Penix Jr. is the new starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and Kirk Cousins ​​is heading to the bench, coach Raheem Morris announced Tuesday night.

“After a review, we have made the decision that Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement released by the team. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

The Falcons beat the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 on Monday night, snapping a four-game losing streak. But Cousins ​​was just 11-of-17 passing for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He has nine interceptions and just one touchdown pass in his past five games.

Cousins ​​did not throw for a first down in the first half Monday night, the first time that has happened in his 13-year career. He threw on first down to open the second half and it resulted in an interception by Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane. Running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for 34 carries, which was the bulk of the team’s offense.

After the game, Cousins ​​said he needed to play better and that Morris, who indicated as much in his postgame press conference, was stating the “obvious thing.”

Cousins, 36, is completing 64.7% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions. He also has 12 fumbles, which is tied for most in the NFL with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Falcons signed Cousins, who was coming off a torn right Achilles that ended his 2023 season in Week 8, to a four-year, $180 million contract in the offseason. About $100 million of that is guaranteed, though most of that money will come off the books in 2026. The Falcons will pay Cousins ​​$62.5 million this season.

Penix, 24, led Washington to the national championship game last season before the Falcons selected him No. 8 in April’s NFL draft. He completed 65.4% of his passes with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his senior year with the Huskies, and his 4,903 passing yards were the most in the nation.

When it comes to playing Penix, Morris said earlier Tuesday, before the trade, that the Falcons are “really smart and careful in how we do our business,” but doesn’t necessarily believe there’s a downside to playing him on this . time.

“You can never say there’s a (downside) to handing it over to someone that you’ve invested a lot in, someone you brought here, someone you’ve done some things with, someone who (has) not said other than real stuff since they’ve been here,” Morris said of Penix.

The Falcons host the 2-12 Giants on Sunday. At 7-7, Atlanta is still in the playoff hunt, although the four-game losing streak sent the team plummeting from first place in the NFC South.

When the Falcons drafted Penix, Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot made it clear that Cousins ​​was the quarterback of today and Penix would be the quarterback of the future. Cousins ​​was caught off guard by the draft after being informed of it a few minutes before, though he texted Penix later that evening, and the two struck up a relationship this season.

Cousins ​​and Penix live on the same street in suburban Georgia and sometimes ride the team plane together for road games.

Earlier this month, Penix said he supported Cousins ​​and believed he would turn things around. But he said he would be ready if the Falcons needed him.

“I have to be (ready) because you never know when the opportunity (will come),” Penix said in early December. “So I’m always ready, but at the end of the day, like I said, it’s not up to me. I just have to continue to be ready, continue to be ready for the moment when it is.”