Insider names 'No. 1 reason' Falcons should get rid of Kirk Cousins before start of 2025 season

As of the Thursday before Memorial Day, it seems the Atlanta Falcons are happy to have veteran Kirk Cousins serve as their backup quarterback for the 2025 season after 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins in the starting lineup in December. 

For a mailbag published on Thursday, Falcons insider Josh Kendall of The Athletic was asked if he thinks there is a scenario where Cousins "gets the starting job back if Michael Penix Jr. is struggling and Cousins is healthy." Kendall explained why such a question "is the No. 1 reason I have been a proponent of the Falcons getting Cousins out of the building one way or another" before Labor Day arrives. 

"There should be that chance," Kendall wrote. "Coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have been adamant that they make all decisions based on what is best for the team, and if Penix does struggle, then going back to a quarterback with Cousins’ history definitely should be considered."

Back in March 2024, the Falcons viewed Cousins as a quarterback worth a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed. He reportedly was more banged up than outsiders realized as the 2024 Falcons went from 6-3 to 7-7 before Morris turned to Penix. 

Meanwhile, Penix tossed an interception that wasn't his fault and completed 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards in the first regular-season start of his pro career, a 34-7 win over the New York Giants. Across the season's final two weeks, he went 0-2 and connected on 54.8 percent of 73 passes for 535 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. 

The Falcons failed to find a club willing to pay "a significant portion of" Cousins' salary before teams such as the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings filled their quarterback rooms with other moves. Aaron Rodgers is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers at any moment, so the Falcons will likely need a different team to lose a starter to an injury to find a trade partner for Cousins before Week 1. 

Cousins not causing problems for the Falcons amid his desire to head elsewhere doesn't mean Atlanta's quarterback situation won't get complicated if Penix looks like a rookie in September. One wonders if Morris will ultimately determine that Cousins' presence in the locker room does more harm than good as it pertains to Penix's development.