Falcons HC Explains Why Cousins Won't Compete For QB1 Spot Amid Penix Jr.'s Struggles

Despite benching Michael Penix Jr. for the entire fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris isn't considering making a permanent move to Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Morris explained that Penix "is our guy until I let you guys know otherwise" when asked why Cousins isn't competing for the starting job.

Morris went on to say they're "not even close" to the point where Penix will be demoted.

Penix finished 18-of-36 for 172 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Panthers. His first interception was returned for a touchdown by Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade.

Morris' statements on Wednesday echo what he said immediately after the game. He was asked about the possibility of giving Cousins a chance as the starter going forward during his postgame press conference.

"No," Morris said in response. He added the change was made because the "game was out of hand" and they just wanted to "keep our guys out of harm's way."

Despite Morris' insistence that no change is coming, Penix's start to the season is certainly a reason for everyone associated with the Falcons to be concerned. The 25-year-old has thrown for 605 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in three games.

Penix's 58.6 completion percentage ranks 32nd out of 37 qualified quarterbacks. There have also been a lack of explosive plays through the air for the Falcons.

By comparison, in Penix's 100 pass attempts in his three starts at the end of last season, the Falcons gained at least 16 yards on 15.5 percent of them.

One of the biggest selling points for Penix in the 2024 draft was his arm strength and accuracy down the field, but that has yet to really show up in games through three weeks this season.

The reason Cousins lost his job late last season was because he couldn't stop turning the ball over. He had one touchdown and nine interceptions from Weeks 10-14.

By that standard, Penix is playing better now than Cousins was. But the Falcons can't afford to set the bar that low for several reasons, not least of which is they don't have a first-round draft pick in 2026 to potentially add a top quarterback prospect.

It may not be fair to already be talking about the Falcons potentially replacing Penix after just six career starts, but their logic for drafting him soon after they signed Cousins as a free agent was to have a ready-made succession plan in place.

The fact that Penix looked as bad as he did against a Panthers defense that had given up at least 20 points in each of their last nine games dating back to 2024 does raise a lot of concerns about his ability to be a franchise quarterback.

Penix will look to rebound on Sunday against the Washington Commanders before the Falcons go into their bye in Week 5.