The Atlanta Falcons are turning on Kirk Cousins after he failed to turn around one of the poorest runs of his career against his former team, the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins has not thrown a touchdown in four consecutive games, the longest drought of his career as a starter, and also leads the NFL with 15 interceptions.
The 36-year-old quarterback is slated to play the Las Vegas Raiders in primetime as part of a twin bill on Monday night alongside the Vikings and Chicago Bears game.
While the Sam Darnold-led Vikings will vie for a playoff spot, Cousins will be playing for his job and future in Atlanta at the same time.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on December 13 that while external frustration has mounted for weeks, even some of Cousins’ teammates have run out of patience and are ready for rookie Michael Penix Jr. to take over.
“I truly believe the only reason that they haven’t gone to Michael Penix Jr. yet is because of optics. Because, the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed. I have had players inside that locker room tell me, point blank, Michael Penix Jr. is the best quarterback in this building,” Schultz said on Fox Sports’ “Speak.”
A month ago, the Falcons had sole lead in the NFC South and were a favorite to make the playoffs. But after losing four straight games, Atlanta only has a 34% chance of making the postseason, per The Athletic.
A loss on Monday would slash the Falcons’ chances to just 15%.
“If they lose, and continue this free fall… there is absolutely no way they cannot go to the rookie,” Schyltz added.
Sam Darnold Proves Vikings Right to Move on From Kirk Cousins
GettyKirk Cousins and Sam Darnold
The Vikings’ 42-21 win over the Falcons in Week 14 punctuated Minnesota’s decision to move on from Cousins in March.
Under the tutelage of head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold threw for 347 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
Cousins threw a pair of interceptions but finished with 344 passing yards — 87 of which came in the fourth quarter and 55 on the Falcons’ final drive.
Kirk Cousins’ Career on the Line Entering Final Stretch of the 2024 Season
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons are in a similar place Minnesota was in during its Cousins era.
Cousins led the league in interceptions through the first five games of the 2020 season, leading to some calls for him to be benched.
Then-Vikings general manager Rick Spielman had just signed Cousins to a two-year, $66 million fully guaranteed extension.
When a quarterback is on an ironclad deal like that, they do not get benched — no matter what.
That seems to be the path Atlanta will go down until they are virtually eliminated from the postseason.
While Penix may not play in a meaningful game this season, the first year with Cousins has led to serious consideration of whether he will be back in 2025.
“Asking a rookie who has never started an NFL game to come in with five games left and save the season is an awful lot. If Atlanta makes this move and Penix can’t get it done, it’s going to be pretty tough to go back to Cousins — this year or next,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote on December 7. “The Falcons’ self-inflicted QB conundrum is a sticky one, I’m not denying that. But it still seems like the best bet for turning things around is the veteran who has been through this before. If it doesn’t work, the Falcons can make the change in the offseason and move on from Cousins after one year.”
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