Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched Cousins

The Atlanta Falcons drafting of Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract doesn’t seem like that much of a head-scratcher anymore.

Penix, the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, was supposed to serve as Cousins’ understudy for a year or two, a plan that was scuttled when Cousins quickly lost the zip and accuracy on his passes and his grip on the starting job.

It was hard to argue with making the change after Cousins had nine picks and one touchdown pass in his last five starts — but it was a daring move nonetheless with the Falcons trailing first-place Tampa Bay by a single game with three weeks left.

Penix made the move pay off with a solid first NFL start in the Falcons’ 34-7 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday that bolstered Atlanta’s playoff hopes, and the Falcons (8-7) moved back into first place in the NFC South with the Buccaneers’ loss at Dallas on Sunday night.

The left-hander was not at all overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception.

“He went out and played almost flawless football,” coach Raheem Morris said.

Cousins will almost certainly be looking for his fourth team in 2025.

If the Falcons cut ties as expected, they’ll have paid Cousins $90 million for 14 games. Cousins’ career earnings are about $321 million and his record is 84-77-2, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs and 7-7 this season.

In the spirit of expedited judgments, let’s take a gander at how other quarterbacks have fared with their new teams in 2024.

Russell Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers landed the biggest bargain of the season in Wilson, whom they signed for the veteran’s minimum of $1.21 million, leaving his former team, the Denver Broncos, on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of his 2024 salary.

Wilson’s calf injury in camp forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields, who went 4-2 before Mike Tomlin made the risky switch to Wilson, who’s gone 6-3 with 15 TD throws and four interceptions.

With the Steelers (10-5) playoff-bound, Wilson will make his first postseason appearance since 2020. The only question is whether it’ll be at home as AFC North champ or on the road as a wild-card. They’re tied with the Ravens atop the division but currently own the tiebreaker.

Sam Darnold

This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Cousins in free agency. They signed Darnold, the third overall pick in 2018, to a $10 million, one-year contract and drafted national champion J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick.

McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener and has undergone two surgeries, opening the way for Darnold’s breakthrough season.

Darnold brought a 21-35 career record with him to Minneapolis and all he’s done is go 13-2 while setting career highs with 32 touchdown passes, 3,776 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage.

The Vikings are tied with the Lions atop the packed NFC North and the division crown could come down to Minnesota’s season finale at Detroit on Jan. 5.

Gardner Minshew

The Las Vegas Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract and he beat out incumbent Aidan O’Connell for the starting gig. But he only went 2-7 and sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos, opening the door for O’Connell (1-4) to return.

The Raiders’ 19-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday snapped a 10-game skid but might have taken them out of the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. They are 3-12, a game behind the Giants (2-13), who jettisoned QB Daniel Jones less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract and have gone with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito instead.

Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears had high hopes after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but it might turn out that the second QB taken — Washington’s Jayden Daniels — is better than the first as was the case last year when C.J. Stroud outperformed Carolina’s Bryce Young.

Williams has a terrific TD-to-INT ratio of 19-5, but the Bears are 4-11 and have lost nine in a row. Their last win came way back on Oct. 13 against Jacksonville.

Jayden Daniels

The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has led the Washington Commanders (10-5) to the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2020. His bolstered his Rookie of the Year credentials with a five-TD performance Sunday in leading the Commanders to a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

For the year, Daniels has 22 TD throws and eight interceptions.

Bo Nix

The former Auburn and Oregon star hasn’t looked much like a rookie after starting an NCAA QB record 61 times in college. The Broncos (9-6) could snap an eight-year playoff drought with a win Sunday at Cincinnati thanks to Nix’s steady play, Sean Payton’s exhaustive guidance and Denver’s traditionally stingy defense.

Nix was drafted 12th overall after the Broncos released Wilson despite a a whopping $85 million dead money charge on top of the $37.79 million they’re paying Wilson to play for Pittsburgh this year.

With 22 TDs and 11 interceptions, Nix has almost matched Russell’s win total (11-19) in his two seasons in Denver.

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AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season.

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