Michael Penix Jr. Waltzes In — with It All on the Line

Typically when a rookie quarterback takes the reins from a veteran bridge quarterback — we can officially slap the bridge label on Kirk Cousins in retrospect — a season is in the toilet or at least trending in an awful or hopeless direction.

Michael Penix Jr. Waltzes In — with It All on the Line

That’s not the arrangement in Atlanta.

In fact, the Falcons are fresh off the steam of an ugly win against the Las Vegas Raiders. That’s right. Cousins was benched during an honest-to-goodness chase for the NFC South crown. Atlanta is one win away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if the teams end the season with the same record, Atlanta would win the tiebreaker based on two wins over the Buccanneers.

This is usually the time to lean on the experienced quarterback and trust he’ll deliver. That’s not the case for the Falcons, Penix Jr., and Cousins. Penix will take the baton with a playoff trip on the line.

Moreover, the Falcons confused everybody — we’re talking everybody — when they drafted Penix Jr. in April. Most saw Cousins’ fat contract — four years and $180 million — as a mandate for the 36-year-old to lead the Dirty Birds for at least two seasons. Cousins lasted 14 games.

In other historical situations, Tom Brady, for example, took over for Drew Bledsoe as a youngster and later led the Patriots to a chip. But that was out of necessity, an injury to Bledsoe. Benching Cousins for Penix Jr. is purely elective. The decision will determine and define the 2024 Falcons. They’re a whisker away from the postseason with an easy schedule in NFL-speak.

In that regard, folks will learn in a hurry if Penix Jr., as an “old” rookie, has the spine for the a playoff chase.

Penix Jr. said this week, “I look up to Kirk and, to be honest, Kirk couldn’t do no wrong in my eyes, so it was like, dang, when I saw him in camp leading all the way up through the season, he’s special.”

Thankfully, there is no outward animosity between Cousins and Penix Jr. regarding the switch. Cousins rarely creates animosity.

Cousins told reporters after receiving his bench assignment and relationship with Penix Jr.: “Just let him know I’d be in his corner and supporting him and trying to help him any way I can.”

He said he’d “support Mike and just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three to get in the playoffs, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The Falcons wanted this way, albeit maybe not this soon. The only reason a front office drafts a rookie quarterback in Round 1 while signing a 36-year-old is to have the best of both worlds. Atlanta wanted to ensure quarterback doldrums were dead.

The NFL viewing community will get a sneak peek at the plan’s efficacy based on Penix Jr.’s ability to deliver a Wildcard berth against an unusually easy schedule.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the Minnesota Vikings, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.