The Atlanta Falcons have not welcomed much, as far as a Kirk Cousins trade this offseason, and it’s slowly becoming a critical gaffe for the franchise. As Kirk Cousins and his inordinate contract remain on the Falcons’ books, there may not be the same amount of confidence in Michael Penix Jr. as the team previously led on.
Cousins holds a no-trade clause as part of the four-year, $180 million commitment from Atlanta over a year ago. It’s already been established that the 36-year-old quarterback wants to play, rather than become a seasoned mentor for a rising star. The Falcons’ indifference about the situation is not doing anybody any favors, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
“Easy to say, I know, because it’s not my money, but that $90 million is a sunk cost,” Graziano wrote. “Keeping Cousins around doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s no good for Penix, because the moment he has two or three tough games in a row, fans are going to be clamoring for Cousins to replace him. It’s obviously no good for Cousins, who’s another year removed from his Achilles injury and eager to play and show people he still can. And it’s hard to see how it’s good for a Falcons coaching staff that has to manage and continue to answer questions about a difficult situation.”
If the Falcons’ plan is to have Cousins warm the bench until he’s actually needed, then that doesn’t present the most ideal outlook.
Falcons keeping Cousins as a backup sends the wrong message
On one hand, Cousins offers some assurance at the QB spot. In a vacuum, the structure makes sense. But when a four-time Pro Bowler is sitting behind a signal-caller who has made only five NFL appearances, there’s bound to be some hard feelings at some point. These are human beings, after all.
The Falcons must continue to prioritize Penix if they do, indeed, value him as a starter, and keep searching for options to avoid any looming disaster with Cousins.
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