By Ross Jackson
The New Orleans Saints will get a chance to scout the future of their most bitter rival, the Atlanta Falcons.
On Thursday evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons will be benching starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and starting rookie passer Michael Penix Jr. down the closing stretch of the season.
Cousins signed with the Falcons in the offseason, inking a four-year, $180 million deal. The deal included a $50 million signing bonus and $90 million guaranteed over the first two years. That does make the contract tradeable for Atlanta, should another team want to take a swing with Cousins on what remains of the deal.
In the very same offseason, Atlanta drafted Penix Jr. No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The move drew confusion leaguewide from opposing front offices to national talking heads. Considering the signing of Cousins earlier that spring, drafting a quarterback in the top ten was not expected for the Falcons.
Now, Atlanta will turn to its rookie the rest of the way as an early opportunity to evaluate the young signal caller. However, questions will rise as the Falcons are still in playoff contention. Whether or not going away from the veteran quarterback – who has struggled quite a bit as of late – at this pivotal time is the right choice will all depend on the rookie’s performance.
In the last five games, Cousins have thrown nine interceptions to just one touchdown pass. The team was also on a four-game losing streak before finally getting back in the win column Monday night against the hapless Las Vegas Raiders.
Penix Jr. took his Washington Huskies to the college football national championship game in 2023. They knocked off the Oregon Ducks for a PAC-12 championship and toppled Texas in the semifinal game. While they came up short in the championship matchup with Michigan, the performance of the young quarterback was outstanding and quickly rose him to a first-round selection.
And thanks to the Falcons, a top ten selection at that.
As poorly as things have gone for the Falcons offense as of late, the pressure on Penix Jr. should be easy to handle. The Atlanta offense has averaged just 14.4 points per game over the last five weeks.
As for New Orleans, this provides the team an opportunity to get an early look at what Atlanta hopes to be its future. Even though the two teams won’t meet for the rest of the year, seeing the rookie in action for three games should provide some valuable insight in preparing for next season’s matchups.
