We know you have strong opinions about the Falcons’ quarterback situation, and we do too.
We always see some sloppiness and rust in Week 1 of the regular season, especially since the NFL cut the preseason down to three games. But what we saw from expensive free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins in his first game back in action post-Achilles recovery was more concerning than just sloppiness and rust.
Couple that with the fact that the Falcons have this year’s No. 8 overall pick, Michael Penix Jr., fully healthy on the sideline, and it understandably raises questions about whether we might see Penix at some point this season. Here’s what we think, and you can share your takes in the comments.
Fingers crossed Kirk knocks off the rust, because he’s the starter
This may not be what you want to hear … and I think Matt made some really strong arguments for starting Michael Penix. But unless Cousins suffers a setback significant enough to show up on the injury report, I simply do not see the team benching their $180 million man.
Cousins has been most effective under center throughout his career, and having Cousins under center was not a part of the game plan on Sunday. But Cousins did take some under-center snaps in Thursday’s practice, so hopefully that’s a signal that the team is going to deploy him in a way that makes sense with his skill set against the Eagles. Cousins said Thursday that he has also changed his stance in the pistol, which may require time to get used to.
A torn Achilles is a real challenge to come back from — not just physically, but also mentally. For what it’s worth, Cousins insisted while speaking with the media in Flowery Branch on Thursday that he is comfortable out there both physically and mentally. But there’s no denying that he did not look at all comfortable on Sunday.
I think some of what we saw from Cousins on Sunday against the Steelers was rust, some of it was just TJ Watt being outrageously good, and I think some of it was the mental hurdle of full-speed game action for the first time for Cousins post-injury. If I’m right (cross your fingers, toes, and maybe even your own Achilles tendons), things might look shaky for a couple of weeks but I’d expect Cousins and the team to hit their stride by Week 4 at the latest, and there’s still plenty of season left at that point. – Jeanna Kelley
Why is an injured Kirk Cousins starting when Michael Penix is healthy?
Another year and another time Falcons fans are getting confusing, inconsistent information on its quarterback. Raheem Morris, with a straight face, said that Kirk Cousins is healthy. If that’s true, Zac Robinson put together a historically poor offensive game plan. Realistically, I believe the game plan was put together due to Cousins’ current health. Cousins wasn’t ready to play on Sunday and would be unlikely to play well this upcoming Monday, if that’s the case.
I can understand rolling with Cousins if Desmond Ridder was sitting on the bench. Perhaps Morris thinks Cousins is real close to being full speed, but why not get your quarterback-of-the-future some important snaps while your veteran heals up? I don’t see the risk if Cousins can’t toss the ball more than a dozen yards consistently.
The Falcons are already facing a worst-case scenario of losing winnable games early in a crucial season. Turning to Penix has that same risk, but hopefully with the upside of giving him some pro experience while letting Cousins get healthy. Morris isn’t ready to at least publicly acknowledge Cousins isn’t healthy, Whether Morris announces it or not, he should start Penix on Monday. — Matt Chambers
Michael Penix o’clock is not around the corner
The Zac Robinson-Kirk Cousins marriage is off to a rocky start. The Falcons scored ten points, Cousins looked tentative and rusty, and Robinson basically held up a big sign that said RUN or PASS with the plays he called and the formations the team used. A nightmarish first game predictably kicked up questions here, there, and everywhere about Cousins’ health, Robinson’s fitness to coordinate, and the overall state of the offense.
But it was just one game. Michael Penix is the quarterback of the future, but I don’t think anyone believes the Falcons want that future to start right now. In their Thursday pressers, Cousins and Robinson both stressed that the heavy use of pistol and shotgun was not due to Cousins’ health, which the quarterback insisted is fine. Taking them at their word, this was a rusty performance not aided by a first-time playcaller’s struggles. If you doubt those words, the Falcons surely think Cousins is only going to get healthier while Robinson improves.
It would take another injury or the season-derailing ineptitude we saw from Cousins and Robinson in Week 1 over several weeks to see Penix, and even then the Falcons might be hesitant to turn to him in what would at that point be a lost year. If we saw Penix before 2026 or maybe 2025, something has gone (even more) wrong. —Dave Choate
Is it weird that I feel apathetic either way?
Look, Sunday was terrible. I get it, but if I’m being honest, I haven’t given much thought to the idea of switching to Michael Penix yet. This is primarily because I see week one’s failures as mainly coaching ones. I was fully prepared for Kirk Cousins to come out and look bad, given the new offense, significant injury, tough defense, etc. If we’re being honest, a more shocking outcome would’ve been him throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Zac Robinson’s offense, on the other hand, was something nobody expected, like a Bobby Petrino laminated note. Now that I’ve had to explore the idea of a quarterback controversy, I don’t hold strong feelings one way or the other.
There’s an excellent chance I could be wrong, and Cousin is cooked. Zac Robinson could call a game tailored around play action like many hope, and the quarterback’s execution might fall flat, whether due to physical or mental limitations remains to be seen. If that happens, we get to see some Penix. What’s wrong with that? This league was built on young quarterbacks snatching the souls of the veterans ahead of them on the depth chart. While I would like Cousins to work out so that we can justify his contract and have a good shot at making some sort of winning run after this tough opening slate, I don’t think Penix lowers this team’s floor significantly.
Penix has superior physical attributes whether Cousins is 100% healthy or not. He doesn’t possess the veteran experience and depth of knowledge Cousins does, but that’s not an accurate indicator of whether or not Penix can succeed. This would certainly speed up the team’s timeline for him, but I don’t see that as a reason to panic. I personally don’t put much stock into quarterbacks sitting games; results show that it’s a crap shoot, and situations matter.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, if Kirk is healthy, we’re fine as long as another rookie can succeed in their role. Enter new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson. If Robinson can’t improve, then whether Cousins is healthy or not doesn’t matter. The team would also be in trouble of Robinson being an obstacle in Penix’s development. The young coordinator’s progress has long-term ramifications for this franchise, making the thought of who’s under center inconsequential until he improves. — Tre’Shon Diaz