NFC South

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins opened up publicly about his benching for the first time on Wednesday.

"It's pro football," he told reporters. "There's a standard I have for myself and the team has for me, and unfortunately I wasn't playing up to that standard consistently enough."

He also said his decision-making was the problem and not any physical limitations from his Achilles injury he suffered last season while on the Minnesota Vikings. What's more, the veteran said he reached out to Michael Penix Jr. and offered his support as the rookie prepares to take over the starting role for the stretch run.

Kirk Cousins said he called Michael Penix Jr. after being told he was being benched.

Here is Kirk on how he will support him and his response to @Ria_Martin on why decided to call Penix.

"I like to shoot elephants in the room, so I just wanted to shoot one" #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/jAJAKVednl

— Reggie Chatman Jr. (@ReggieChatman) December 18, 2024

With the Falcons still in the middle of the NFC playoff race heading into the final three games of the regular season, head coach Raheem Morris released a statement Tuesday announcing the quarterback change.

"After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward," Morris said. "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants."

Atlanta's quarterback situation has been under the spotlight since the offseason when it made the decision to both sign Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract despite the significant injury he suffered last season at 35 years old and draft Penix with the No. 8 overall pick.

While Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler, it felt like just a matter of time before Penix would eventually take over.

After all, teams don't use the No. 8 overall pick on signal-callers just for them to sit behind a veteran over the course of an entire four-year deal, even if that contract is for $180 million. Still, it seemed like Cousins would remain the quarterback through at least the first year of that deal when the team got off to a 6-3 start.

However, things have changed of late.

Atlanta snapped a four-game losing streak with an ugly 15-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. Cousins threw for just 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception, continuing a poor stretch of play that has seen him throw one touchdown to nine interceptions in the last five games.

KIRK COUSINS TOSSES HIS 4TH INT OF THE GAME 😳

CHARGERS SEAL THE WIN.

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/gdTiq6edrG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2024

One of those contests was a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he threw four interceptions.

The recent struggles mean the benching comes as anything but a surprise, especially with the Falcons still just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. They also have the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series against Tampa Bay, so there is still a golden opportunity to make a move.

It will be up to Penix to make it.

With the announcement on Tuesday that Michael Penix Jr. was taking over as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback going forward, replacing Kirk Cousins, the next logical question is what the future holds for the veteran quarterback.

And, in turn, how it will impact the Falcons.

There are three main options. The first, and probably the most unlikely at this point, is that the Falcons simply keep Cousins as insurance for Penix. If the rookie struggles down the stretch this year, it's certainly a possibility, though it would mean taking on Cousins' $40 million cap hit, $27.5 million base salary and the $10 million roster bonus for 2026 they would owe him if he was on the roster by the fifth day of the 2025 league year.

That's an expensive backup plan, though the Falcons could always cut him after the 2025 season and incur $25 million in dead cap.

That isn't pocket change, but it's far less dead cap than they'd take on if they took option two, which is releasing him outright after this season. That, however, would come with a prohibitive $65 million in dead cap, which would be the second largest dead cap charge in NFL history, trailing only the $85 million in dead cap the Denver Broncos absorbed after cutting Russell Wilson.

The Broncos could either take that hit in one season or spread it out between 2025-26.

If the Falcons released Kirk Cousins with a Post-June 1 designation, they would have $40 million in dead money in 2025 and $25 million in 2026. https://t.co/CESkSbcUpQ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2024

The third option, and probably the most ideal for Atlanta, is finding a trade suitor for Cousins. By dealing him, the Falcons wouldn't be on the hook for his $27.5 million base salary, leaving them with a dead cap charge of $37.5 million.

Again, no small number, but better than the alternative.

At 4:15 of this, @MikeSilver and I talk about what Silver said a coach jokingly called "The Kirk Cousins Cult." The Shanahan/McVay tree guys LOVE Cousins and if you think him becoming available doesn't get one or two of them jazzed you are nuts. Even in his current state. https://t.co/A6Xyq4LUvB

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) December 18, 2024

But this option not only needs teams around the NFL to have interest in trading for Cousins, but he also has to agree on the destination, given his no-trade clause. Both of those factors could be complicated, as Cousins threw for just one touchdowns and nine interceptions in his past nine games.

That might have contenders wary to put much trust in him, while Cousins may be less than inclined to join a non-contender.

It will be an interesting offseason for the Falcons, in other words. But however they play it, the Penix era has begun in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons have made a quarterback change amidst Kirk Cousins' struggles over the past five games, promoting rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. to the starting position.

"After review we have made the decision Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward," head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement. "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants."

The move doesn't come as much of a surprise.

Cousins, 36, has been dreadful over the past month, throwing one touchdown pass to nine interceptions in the past five games, taking 11 sacks. The Falcons are just 1-4 in those contests and nearly lost a fifth straight game on Monday night against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, escaping with a 15-9 win when Jesse Bates II intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play of the game.

Falcons basically abandoning the pass on first-and-10 last night told you what the organization thought of Cousins's situation. They're going to end up paying $85 million or so for about ten pretty good Cousins starts, which is a disaster. https://t.co/2oCTuDpxG9

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 18, 2024

The Falcons threw the ball just once on first down against the Raiders last night.

It was Kirk Cousins' interception to Robert Spillane with 14:52 left in the third quarter.

This was absolutely the last straw.

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 18, 2024

Kirk left Raheem no choice. Not ideal with Cousins’ contract. And you’d rather not go to a rook with the division title still winnable. Again, though, Kirk left Raheem no choice. https://t.co/FjTT1SMYhv

— Jason Reid (@JReidESPN) December 18, 2024

The Falcons now sit at 7-7 on the season, one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South and two games behind the Washington Commanders for the final Wild Card berth. A change was needed to salvage their playoff chances.

Penix was drafted to be the quarterback of the future, though his selection called into question the wisdom of signing Cousins to a four-year, $160 million contract in the first place.

Now—assuming Penix holds down the starting job—the question will be whether the Falcons can find a trade partner for Cousins in the offseason, will have to carry his enormous salary on the books or will release him and eat the dead cap. One complicating factor is that Cousins has a no-trade clause:

The structure of Kirk Cousins contract could make him tradeable for the Falcons—he is making a reasonable $27.5 million next year, and that’s all the guaranteed money he has left on his contract. https://t.co/sVBjO6MZ3T

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 18, 2024

The #Falcons are paying Kirk Cousins $62.5 million this season as part of the four-year, $180M deal he signed in March. He's due $27.5M fully guaranteed in 2025. He also has a no-trade clause.

But today's decision makes clear: The Michael Penix Jr. era has begun in Atlanta.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 18, 2024

Granted, if Penix struggles down the stretch, the Falcons could simply choose to hold onto Cousins for one more season as insurance and release him ahead of the 2026 season, when his dead cap figure would drop to $25 million (compared to $65 million if they released him this upcoming offseason).

But at this point, it appears as though the Falcons are Penix's team going forward. Cousins had his shot, and he quite literally threw it away.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris declined to name his starting quarterback for Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants during a press conference on Tuesday.

"We just got back, man. We've still got to go through all that process like we always do," he told reporters when asked if Kirk Cousins was still the starter after throwing for just 112 yards, a touchdown and interception in a shaky 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. "Obviously getting back late last night, getting a big time win. ... There's no secret. We didn't play well enough [at] the quarterback position and we got to find ways to play better."

The win moved the Falcons to 7-7 on the season and kept them a game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South with just three games remaining. The Falcons hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping the season series, though it's fair to question if the Falcons would already be atop the division with better quarterback play.

Cousins, 36, has been pretty dreadful in the 2024 season, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and an NFL-worst 16 interceptions while completing 66.9 percent of his passes and taking 28 sacks. In the past five games, he's thrown for just one touchdown and a whopping nine picks, and Atlanta is unsurprisingly 1-4 in those contests.

Were it not for an interception by Jessie Bates II in the end zone on the final play of Monday's game, the Falcons would be dealing with a five-game losing streak.

But he’s not saying Cousins is definitely keeping the job this week. Morris conceded Cousins has lost some of his confidence. “There are ways to get it back. That’s our job. That’s everybody’s job. We all need support at some point. We have to play better at that position.”

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) December 17, 2024

#Falcons HC Raheem Morris was asked about turning to Michael Penix Jr:

“We’ve got everybody on our roster for a reason, we’ve got so much to get better at. Those things will always be discussed, that’s the nature of the beast in football. Our mentality is to find a way to win… pic.twitter.com/qYIU9qDvmu

— Bryce Lewis (@Bryce_Lewis86) December 17, 2024

"I think the last few weeks I would say I need to play better," Cousins told reporters after Monday's close victory. "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. And so, this week will be no different."

Atlanta put itself in a bizarre quarterback conundrum this past offseason, signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract while also using a first-round pick to select Michael Penix Jr. Both of those moves represented the sort of asset allocation utilized for starting players, not backups, and created an odd quarterback controversy for years to come.

If the Falcons bench Cousins, they are leaving a massive chunk of their cap space on the bench. But if they continue to start him while he struggles it becomes a major sunk cost, especially with a first-round talent—who was ostensibly selected to be the future at the position—wasted on the sidelines.

It's hard to imagine Penix being much worse than Cousins has been for the past month. At some point, the Falcons may need to roll the dice on the rookie, with a playoff berth hanging in the balance.

Derek Carr's 2024 season is likely over as the New Orleans Saints quarterback continues to rehab from a fractured left hand.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Carr's return to play is described as "very unlikely" after a recent examination determined he is "at least" a few weeks away from being able to withstand contact in games.

Carr suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of New Orleans' 14-11 win over the New York Giants on Dec. 8. He collided with a teammate on a scramble and used his left hand to brace his fall.

Jake Haener replaced Carr for the Saints' final offensive possession of the game.

Interim head coach Darren Rizzi told reporters after the win that Carr would be considered "week to week" since the injury wouldn't require surgery, but the team wanted to see how he responded before making a decision about putting him on injured reserve.

An IR stint would have officially ended Carr's season since it requires a minimum four-game absence. It's still possible the Saints could place him on injured reserve given the new information they have.

Haener made his first career start on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. He finished 4-of-10 for 49 yards with one interception before being benched at halftime in favor of Spencer Rattler.

Rattler went 10-of-21 for 135 yards and one touchdown. He led a 56-yard scoring drive at the end of the fourth quarter, but his two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete to give the Commanders a 20-19 win.

This season has to be considered a huge disappointment for Carr and the Saints because of how they started the year. They were on a historic offensive pace amid a 2-0 start that saw them score 91 total points.

Since that hot start, the Saints have lost nine of their last 12 games. Carr missed three games from Weeks 6-8 due to an oblique injury. Assuming he doesn't play again in 2024, his 10 starts will be his fewest in a single season in his NFL career.

The Saints will wrap up this season with games against the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris didn't pull any punches when it came to the performance of quarterback Kirk Cousins in Monday's 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

"He's got to play better. We have to find a way to get him to play better," Morris said after the game. "We have to play better at the quarterback position."

Cousins finished 11-of-17 for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the victory.

Morris didn't say anything that Falcons fans weren't feeling themselves. Cousins responded to the comments and offered that his coach was "stating the obvious."

Kirk Cousins says he knows he has to play better, when asked if he’s feeling the pressure, especially after Raheem Morris said tonight, “we have to play better at the quarterback position.” pic.twitter.com/CxhCX66sFw

— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) December 17, 2024

Still, it's not often that a coach is this candid about his starting quarterback, especially one with Cousins' seniority and salary.

"He wants to play better, he’s gotta play better, we gotta find a way to get him to play better." - Falcons HC Raheem Morris@wyche89 & @Mike_Yam react to postgame comments on Kirk Cousins. pic.twitter.com/rA7819zJnN

— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) December 17, 2024

Entering Monday, the four-time Pro Bowler had gone four straight games without a touchdown pass. Not coincidentally, Atlanta lost all four of those games.

Early into the season, one could excuse Cousins' production a bit by positing he was shaking off the rust from his Achilles tear. He'd need a few weeks to have everything click into gear on the field.

Here we are coming off Week 15 and Cousins has actually gotten worse. His 15 interceptions are the most in the NFL and he has his lowest passer rating (89.0) as a full-time starter. His 7.02 adjusted yards per attempt are his second-lowest as a starter as well, per Pro Football Reference.

For this, the 36-year-old is earning an average salary of $45 million.

The Falcons might be sitting at .500 (7-7), but that's still good enough to be second in the NFC South and only one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Throwing a rookie quarterback into the middle of a playoff race wouldn't be ideal. Michael Penix Jr. has thrown five attempts across two appearances as a rookie.

It's hard to see how Penix could be much worse than this version of Cousins, though, and if he is, then Atlanta has a different problem on its hands.

Hideous performance from Kirk Cousins again. Team flat out told you the entire second half they have no faith in him. When they say they do this week, it’s a flat out lie. Either Penix is absolutely brutal, or this is all about optics

— SportsTalkATL.com (@SportsTalkATL) December 17, 2024

Despite his postgame comments, it doesn't sound like Morris is on the verge of benching Cousins. But the Falcons are increasingly getting to a point where the only question is whether the QB change happens this year or heading into the 2025 campaign.

The Atlanta Falcons left Las Vegas with a 15-9 win over the Raiders, but it wasn't exactly one that will inspire confidence in fans heading into a crucial stretch to close out the season.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins' struggles continued in the win. Though he picked up his first passing touchdown since Nov. 3, he had just 112 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception on 11-of-17 assing. Aside from a first-quarter touchdown, all of Atlanta's points came off of field goals and a safety.

The Falcons' defense performed well, but that's not much to marvel at given they were facing one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year.

After the game, fans voiced their frustrations with Cousins as some fans called for rookie quarterback Micheal Penix to take over under center.

Kirk Cousins has 9 INTS in his last 5 games 😅

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/ECjjlJuSrK

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 17, 2024

This was supposed to be a Kirk Cousins confidence game. But I guess it's a Younghoe Koo confidence game.

— 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒌 🏈🇬🇪🇺🇦🇱🇻🇺🇸 (@CarasikS) December 17, 2024

Kirk Cousins is washed.

Completely washed.

— Tim Williams (@timwilliamsart) December 17, 2024

Kirk cousins has 95 passing yards entering the 4th quarter

The game is being played indoors.
Vs a team with two wins
Missing its best defensive player

Time to see Penix

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) December 17, 2024

Kirk Cousins is a sunk cost.

This offense has severely regressed and has no life.

There is no reason beyond optics to not play Michael Penix.

— Rise Up Walker (@RiseUpReader) December 17, 2024

It’s time for Kirk Cousins to be benched for the rest of the year

Enough is enough

Develop your rookie QB

— Skrip (@P2WFantasy) December 17, 2024

Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown? It's been so long I forgot what that was like.

— UrinatingTree (@UrinatingTree) December 17, 2024

KIRK COUSINS IS COOKED 🤢

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) December 17, 2024

Bijan Robinson now has more rushing yards (112) than Kirk Cousins has passing yards (106) pic.twitter.com/aoe4prvlfM

— Deeg (@DeegSports) December 17, 2024

I find it really hard to believe that Michael Penix isn’t better than Kirk Cousins

He’s so washed, it’s unbelievable

— Courtney (@CourtsSports0) December 17, 2024

ATL has done everything they can to hide Kirk Cousins…give it up…

It is Michael Penix time. Do it.

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) December 17, 2024

The sentiment was different for Raiders fans, who appeared to be happy with a loss as they try to "tank for Shedeur (Sanders)."

Raiders fans are something else 😂 pic.twitter.com/a11kBX0oeE

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2024

The Falcons improved to 7-7 with the win but still have a ways to go to keep their playoff hopes alive. Atlanta will need to win its remaining three games against the New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers to potentially snap a six-season postseason drought.

While that schedule looks somewhat manageable, it's hard to imagine the Falcons can win three in a row with the way they've been playing.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly aren't interested in moving on from Bryce Young.

According to ESPN's David Newton, the Panthers are expected to "actively look for an edge rusher" throughout the offseason and will utilize free agency as well as the draft in order to do so.

Young is going to have "a shot" at the starting role in 2025, per Newton.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft threw three interceptions in his first two games of the season before he was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. Young was inserted back into the first-string offense in Week 8 after Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident and has remained atop the depth chart since.

The 23-year-old hasn't been flawless by any means, but he's looked much more comfortable since making his return. In seven starts since the benching, Young has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,492 yards and eight touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

BRYCE YOUNG TO JALEN COKER. 83-YARD TD.

📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/9DdQnhGIEP

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Saturday that Panthers owner David Tepper has been "thrilled" by Young's growth throughout the year.

The second-year passer ended up committing a career-high four turnovers during a 40-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, although he's still expected to compete for the No. 1 quarterback job in 2025.

With the Panthers sitting at 3-11, they're in contention for one of the top picks in the 2025 draft. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski projected Carolina to land Tennessee edge James Pearce Jr. with the No. 5 overall selection in his latest mock draft of the top 10 picks.

The Panthers will be looking to bolster their defensive line throughout the offseason, but they're not expected to be searching for Young's replacement.

The New Orleans Saints suffered a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders after their failed two-point conversion following a late touchdown, but it turns out they likely shouldn't have been in a position to win in the first place.

After the game, referee Shawn Hochuli admitted that a clock stoppage error was made before the Saints' late touchdown, telling reporters, "The covering official mistakenly stopped the clock at nine seconds and it is not reviewable."

This is quite the pool report: https://t.co/mPTaZ7LRao pic.twitter.com/4ReDW1DE9E

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) December 15, 2024

After Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler completed a pass to Foster Moreau to the Commanders' 1-yard line, the clock inexplicably stopped for four seconds, allowing New Orleans to get lined up for Rattler to spike the ball. There were four seconds left on the clock on the team's final play when Rattler threw a touchdown pass to Moreau as time expired, but his pass to Juwan Johnson on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.

Despite the loss, the Saints should be encouraged by what they saw from Rattler, who relieved starter Jake Haener after he completed just four of his 10 passes for 49 yards and an interception before being pulled from the game. Rattler threw for 135 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-21 passing, and he led all four of New Orleans' scoring drives.

A fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Rattler has now thrown for 706 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He could continue to see increased action in the absence of Derek Carr, who is sidelined with a concussion and a hand injury.

The loss dropped the Saints to 5-9, increasing their chances of missing the playoffs for a fourth straight year. New Orleans will try to get back on track when it faces the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football in Week 16.

After the Carolina Panthers' 30-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Dave Canales stood by his starting quarterback, Bryce Young, despite some very clear struggles on Sunday.

"Bryce will play next week," Canales told reporters after the loss, per The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye.

Young completed 19 of 28 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and two fumbles while being sacked six times in the loss.

In his second NFL season, Young has thrown for 1,572 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 50.9.

BRYCE YOUNG WITH AN 83-YARD TD STRIKE BEFORE THE HALF 😱

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/R9ODrr3wDN

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 15, 2024

Following the loss, Young took sole responsibility for the loss against the 6-9 Cowboys.

"I've got to be better. I let the team down today," Young told reporters post game. "It wasn't the play calls, I have to do better. We all as a unit, we all want to step up as a team and we want to execute better. I look in the mirror first and foremost."

The former Heisman winner was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 but has since secured only four professional wins in the NFL over two seasons.

Eric Kendricks picks off Bryce Young!

📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/7VGaw9BOE4

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

Young and veteran quarterback Andy Dalton have been rotating under center all season long. Dalton has started in five games this season, accumulating 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Despite the two competing for the top position, with Dalton's minutes limited due to Young, he has been happy to see Young find his place in the NFL.

"When I was playing, [Bryce] wanted to be out there," Dalton said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I would love to be out there, but it doesn't mean we're not supporting each other and want the best for each other... It's genuine.''

On the other end, Young has appreciated the support of the 14-year NFL veteran.

"We're buddies. That's genuinely my dawg," Young said, per Newton. "Outside of football, we've had a ton of conversations that have nothing to do with football. ... Just growing alongside him, it's easy... We both are always rooting for each other in life.''

Young and the Panthers will look to bounce back next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at home.