Jessie Bates III had his locker subsequent to Michael Penix Jr. final 12 months on the Atlanta Falcons facility. The previous Professional Bowl security performed in opposition to Penix most of final season in follow with the Falcons first-team protection going up in opposition to the then-rookie quarterback and the second crew.
So, Bates received a firsthand view of Penix’s progress away from the highlight. Kirk Cousins was Atlanta’s starter for many of final 12 months. Now, Penix will step into that function from Week 1.
“That is QB1,” Bates stated earlier this month at minicamp. “He is performing prefer it, and I am excited for this 12 months.”
The elephant within the quarterback room, although, is that Cousins stays on the roster. Cousins was benched in Week 16 final season after a stretch with 9 interceptions and only one landing move in 5 video games. Penix was named the starter “transferring ahead,” which seemingly signaled that Cousins was not lengthy for Atlanta.
However, as they’ve executed commonly on the whole supervisor Terry Fontenot’s tenure, the Falcons bucked the norm. They didn’t launch Cousins as anticipated, preferring to carry onto him because the backup moderately than consuming his $27.5 million assured 2025 wage and getting nothing in return. The crew even allowed Cousins’ $10 million roster bonus to kick in for 2026.
The Falcons may nonetheless commerce Cousins, who has made it clear he’d moderately be some place else beginning. As of now, although, it looks like Cousins might be with the crew heading into coaching camp and probably past.
So, what does that imply for the Falcons, Penix’s function as starter and Cousins himself? Let’s deal with a number of the extra urgent questions.
Will Cousins’ presence be a distraction for Penix and/or the remainder of the crew?
Nobody within the group appears to assume will probably be, and in the event that they do, they certainly aren’t saying it publicly. Falcons coach Raheem Morris opened up on this subject throughout minicamp, asserting that Cousins is an effective particular person and has no intention of harming Penix and his improvement.
“He’s simply not a man that is been persistently coping with drama or [has] introduced drama upon himself,” Morris stated of Cousins. “Clearly, there’s been some drama. There’s at all times going to be drama whenever you’re speaking a couple of quarterback place. However I imply, you are still speaking a couple of high-quality particular person, an important human, any individual that I used to be keen to work with the primary time, [same as I’m] nonetheless keen to work with [him] now, and I at all times assume these items resolve themselves.”
This might be Penix’s first full season as starter. Rising pains are regular. What if the Falcons wrestle out of the gate? Will followers be calling for Cousins to take over? May crew decision-makers contemplate that in the event that they felt Cousins gave the crew a greater probability to win? It is a make-or-break season for Morris, Fontenot, the teaching employees and entrance workplace. Atlanta hasn’t made the playoffs or had a successful file since 2017.
How does Penix really feel about Cousins nonetheless being on the roster?
Penix has confidence and poise past his stage of expertise. It would not appear probably the presence of Cousins will shake him.
Penix stated after the season that he believes the Falcons have one of the best offense within the league. Penix has been gifted with unbelievable arm expertise, and he isn’t afraid to indicate it off. Among the throws he made within the closing three video games of 2024 required guts as a lot as talent, particularly the fourth-and-11 seed he threw to Kyle Pitts for a late, game-tying landing in opposition to the Washington Commanders.
“He is been doing it since final 12 months on scout crew, however on scout crew, you do not have as a lot stress on you,” Bates stated. “However to observe him go together with the 1s and simply to see him do the identical stuff, I at all times ask him [after practice] like, ‘Hey, did you see me see me proper there or not?’ And he is similar to, ‘Yeah, I seen you.’ So, he is simply the final word professional. He’ll proceed to get higher each single day.”
Moreover his steely mindset, Penix has developed a friendship with Cousins, which included the 2 commuting collectively to the crew aircraft final 12 months for a couple of highway video games. Penix and Cousins reside on the identical road in suburban Atlanta.
“He is at all times been the identical man from day one,” Penix stated of Cousins. “He at all times advised me since I received in, he was like, ‘I received your again.’ I advised him I received his again. We help one another, and that is the way it’s at all times going to be. We’re teammates.”
May Cousins be with the Falcons via 2025 and past?
If a commerce alternative comes about that works for all events, the Falcons would certainly pull the set off. Cousins has a no-trade clause, so he must clear any deal. Atlanta additionally needs a crew to tackle a good quantity of Cousins’ assured cash this season, say someplace within the ballpark of $10 million. If he’s traded, the receiving crew could be liable for the $10 million roster bonus in 2026.
Now, these aren’t the simplest provisions for a possible deal. Cousins has made it clear that he needs to go someplace and begin. So, he is unlikely to provide the go-head on a commerce the place he’d find yourself sitting behind one other quarterback. He is already doing that in Atlanta.
The Falcons are going to maintain their cellphone traces open and maintain an in depth eye on what’s occurring across the league. Quarterbacks get injured each season; there is not any approach round it. When that occurs, Cousins may change into a sought-after commerce goal. Proper now, the market is not all that scorching.
What does Cousins need to say about all this?
All the correct issues to date. Cousins spent a while with the crew early through the first section of the offseason program, however he was not current for organized crew actions (OTAs) in Might and June. Cousins was in attendance at obligatory minicamp the place he addressed the native media for the primary time since being benched final December.
Cousins stated any conversations about him wanting out of Atlanta had been higher left in January and February. He did acknowledge he’d wish to be a starter but in addition vowed to help Penix as a teammate whereas he is nonetheless on the roster.
“[Penix has] received all of the tangibles and intangibles you should achieve success, and I am simply right here to help him as he wants it, however I additionally do not must be in his ear a lot that I am form of one other weight, one other voice,” Cousins stated. “I simply wish to be a help as I can and he is aware of that clearly we’re in shut proximity on the sector and in conferences. We’ve nice conversations, and I can study from him similar to he can study from me. That is how a very good quarterback room at all times must be.”
Cousins additionally defined that he wasn’t as wholesome as he believed he was in 2024, getting back from a torn proper Achilles. He stated his focus was on strengthening his ankle, however he did not work sufficient on mobility, which price him. There was additionally successful in Week 10 that injured his proper arm and shoulder. Cousins stated he felt like he was nonetheless capable of assist the crew win regardless of being banged up. He stated he didn’t want any surgical procedures through the offseason.
“I feel I’ve nonetheless received just a little bit extra to go however very inspired by the progress I’ve made since January,” Cousins stated. “So, even jogging out right here at this time, simply very inspired by what I felt in comparison with the place I used to be even like six weeks in the past out right here throwing with the blokes. And I consider there’s extra progress up forward, too.”
