The Atlanta Falcons made the most important move last offseason when they gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract. A very risky gamble after his Achilles injury with the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins was the cornerstone of a new project with head coach Raheem Morris, but when the draft arrived, there was a major plot twist. Arthur Blank and the team’s front office decided to draft Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
No one in the NFL understood how it was possible that, after a massive deal for the veteran, the Falcons would “waste” a top-10 pick on another quarterback. Despite this, in their attempt to become a Super Bowl contender, they approved that shocking decision.
Who is the backup QB for the Falcons?
Michael Penix Jr. is the backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, as the plan was to have him spend a few years learning behind Kirk Cousins to observe and develop his potential as the future of the franchise.
At first, everything looked promising for the Falcons with a 6-3 record, but three consecutive losses have raised alarms due to Cousins’ poor performances. Therefore, if the Falcons want to win the NFC South, a change might be on the horizon according to a report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
“I’ve been told Penix has been lighting it up in practice. So, a switch would be justified if they felt like making the move. Under no circumstances would I start Penix against the Vikings, but the remaining games against the Raiders, Giants, Commanders and Panthers would be appealing.”
Despite all the noise surrounding Kirk Cousins, Morris has backed him up in the last few days, but, a bad performance facing the Vikings could put the pressure on.
“My whole deal is we picked Penix with a real purpose: our future quarterback, and when that happens, that happens. He’s getting aligned, he’s getting ready, and if he’s called upon, he’ll be ready. Right now, he’s in full support of Kirk, and he knows Kirk’s going to bounce back. We all feel the same way.”