Cousins' loss of his starting job gets a spotlight on Netflix Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Netflix Spotlights Falcons Kirk Cousins, Losing QB Job

Originally posted on Atlanta Falcons on SI
By Tyler Carmona | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 12:39 PM ET

When Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in March 2024, he probably didn’t expect the season to unravel the way it did, and it’s hard to imagine it’s felt like anything but a devastating surprise

From the Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. No.8 overall just a month after his signing, to Cousins tying for the league lead in both interceptions (16) and fumbles (13), this hasn’t exactly been the ride off into the sunset that he probably envisioned.

With that being said, Cousins has handled the situation with nothing but grace. By all accounts, he’s been consistently supportive of Penix Jr., even if it meant the end of his run as a starting quarterback in the NFL. In an episode of Netflix’s Quarterback, Cousins’ wife Julie shared that after learning he was being benched, Kirk called Penix Jr. himself to let him know that the starting job was his.

Kirk Cousins' wife, Julie, got emotional discussing when he found out he was being benched — and how moving it was for her hearing Kirk call Michael Penix Jr. that night to tell him the starting job was now his.

'Quarterback' on @netflixsports pic.twitter.com/h9YRlbkArr
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 11, 2025

“You just drove home from one of the hardest conversations that you have ever had, and you’re going to call Michael to say that the job is yours,” Julie Cousins said. “That brings tears to my eyes. That is the kind of man that he is.”

Straight from the source, Penix Jr. has mentioned that Cousins has been in his corner from the start.

"Since I got in, he's like, 'I got your back,'" Penix said. "I told him I got his back. We support each other. That's how it's always going to be. We're teammates. We want this team to win football games."

Throughout the season of Quarterback, Cousins is shown giving words of encouragement to Penix Jr. on the sidelines after the rookies final start of the year.

While he seems to have handled the situation professionally, the documentary doesn’t shy away from showing Cousins struggling with the emotional side of losing his job. After that game, he’s been seen speaking with Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton, another former Pro Bowler who eventually transitioned into a backup role.

Kirk Cousins, in a postgame chat with Andy Dalton, talks about the struggle and adversity of losing your starting QB job.

The side of football you don’t see.

Quarterback Season 2 is now playing. pic.twitter.com/hf2QSfRsyF
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) July 12, 2025

“It’s been three weeks, but it's felt like three months,” Cousins said. “A lot of regret. I was just turning the ball over, I couldn’t figure it out. The turnovers have come in bunches at times in my career. It’s hard, but it is what it is.”

As the 2025 season approaches, Cousins is expected to settle into a backup role. While trade rumors have circulated, nothing has materialized, and all signs point to him staying in Atlanta, at least for now. It’s far from the perfect ending for a multiple-time Pro Bowler, but it’s clear he’s handling the moment with professionalism and self-awareness.