Kirk Cousins might not be the starter in Atlanta for much longer. After another disappointing performance Monday night against Las Vegas, the Falcons may consider making a switch, as head coach Raheem Morris refused to rule it out.
Morris could have said the team would stay with Cousins, who they signed to a lucrative deal this offseason. But instead, Atlanta’s head coach didn’t back down on the idea that rookie Michael Penix Jr. could take over the reins.
After a reporter asked Morris if he could assess Cousins in terms of going forward, he told the room that the veteran “has to” play better. Someone then asked if Penix Jr. would take over, and Morris never quite came off that.
“You know, we’ve got everybody on our roster for a reason, right? We’ve got so much to get better at. And, like, those things will always be discussed. That’s just the nature of the beast in football,” Morris said via Pro Football Talk.
“It’s just so heavily talked about at the quarterback position because there’s only one guy out there. You know, so, like for us, man, our mentality is to find a way to win the next game, and that’s just the mentality that we’re gonna have.”
It doesn’t sound great for Cousins, as even a 9-figure deal can’t quite lock his presence as Falcons starter down. His play has not given him a reason to be undeniable, which is plenty fair. But for Cousins, it has to be dispiriting.
The Falcons won’t contend for the playoffs again. So there’s little risk in dumping Cousins for Penix. They drafted him in the first round for a reason after all.
Sooner or later, we might finally see the southpaw in action in Atlanta.
