The move to bench Kirk Cousins on Tuesday in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was strictly a “football decision,” according to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
Speaking to the media Wednesday just hours after the organization decided to pivot from Cousins to Penix after a rocky 7-7 start, the first-year Falcons coach said his veteran quarterback handled the news of his demotion “with class.”
“You know, obviously, anytime you take a step down and a demotion of whatever the case may be, it’s not gonna be met with great appreciation, and all those things,” Morris said.
“But Kirk was a professional. He’s a pro. He’s a man. He’s a great human. He’s a great father. He’s a great football player. He’s done a lot of great things for us this year. He handled it with class. He’s an absolute professional. I can’t say enough good things about who the man is and how he is and what it is, but obviously it comes with some disappointment when you lose your job.”
Cousins was an early free agency splash for the Falcons, with the former Vikings quarterback bolting Minnesota for a four-year, $180 million deal in March.
A month later, Atlanta jumped on the quarterback bandwagon during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and stunningly selected Penix with the eighth overall pick.
Penix’s first career start will come Sunday against the Giants, who opted to take Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick over taking Penix.
He was the fourth quarterback selected in the opening round behind Chicago’s Caleb Williams (No. 1), Washington’s Jayden Daniels (No. 2) and New England’s Drake Maye (No. 3).
Minnesota selected Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 followed by Denver, who chose Oregon’s Bo Nix with the twelfth pick.
Although the draft move reportedly blindsided Cousins, Atlanta general manager Terry Fontenot maintained the Penix pick was about the future.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We’re very excited about Kirk, we’re very excited about our team. Michael Penix is, we’re talking about the future. The draft is — you look at the future and you look at big picture,” he said in April.
The Falcons entered the season with playoff aspirations following a mediocre 7-10 campaign in 2023.
Cousins, returning from an Achilles injury, struggled under center, going four straight games without a touchdown pass before Monday’s 15-9 win over the lowly Raiders.
He completed 11 of 17 attempts for 112 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Morris chastised Cousins’ play afterward, with the quarterback acknowledging he needs to perform better.
“I think the last few weeks I would say I need to play better,” Cousins said. “Raheem says it, but it’s stating the obvious, and every week you kind of go through your process and you plan to go out there and play the very best you can.”
Through 14 games, Cousins has thrown 18 touchdowns against 16 interceptions and has completed 66.9 percent of his passes.
