Report: Kirk Cousins Benching for Michael Penix Jr. Hasn't Been Discussed by Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons haven't had internal discussions about benching starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for backup rookie Michael Penix Jr., per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

"Around the league, other coaches have pointed out [head coach Raheem Morris'] steadiness and belief in the quarterback, knowing it's never easy when you have a top draft pick sitting on the bench behind you. There is no denying Cousins played poorly last week, but the team isn't listening to those clamoring for Michael Penix Jr. I'm told no internal discussions of a QB switch have happened at this point. Atlanta is showing faith in Cousins, particularly with the added motivation of facing his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday."

The 6-6 Falcons are on a three-game losing streak, and Cousins has thrown six interceptions and zero touchdowns during that span. He notably threw four picks in a 17-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, including a 61-yard pick-six to Tarheeb Still.

There's been a clear drop in play over the last three weeks, a stretch that has seen the Falcons average just 12 points per game.

Over the first nine games, Cousins completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,328 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. That included a 509-yard, four-touchdown effort in a 36-30 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Atlanta was riding high with a 6-3 record, up three games in the loss column on the second-place Bucs. Now Tampa Bay is tied with Atlanta for first place in the standings, although the Falcons have locked up the head-to-head tiebreaker there thanks to sweeping the season series.

The question then is whether the Falcons would consider benching Cousins and starting Penix in hopes of stopping this offensive skid, which assuredly reached its low point last Sunday. Cousins also threw two costly fourth-quarter interceptions in that game, including one in the end zone.

But it's clear, based on the Russini report, that the Falcons are going to ride it out with Cousins, who's on the first year of a four-season, $180 million contract. Atlanta also invested a ton of resources in Penix, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

For now, Cousins leads the Falcons into a tough road matchup against the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings, his old team. Tampa Bay has a very winnable home game against the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, so Atlanta very well needs this game to avoid falling to second in the NFC South.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.