Last weekend, the Minnesota Vikings beat down their former QB Kirk Cousins, and his new team the Atlanta Falcons. Given his recent stretch of brutal football, Kirk’s dud at U.S. Bank Stadium wasn’t a surprise.
After the Falcons committed $100 million guaranteed to secure Cousins’ services in the offseason, Kirk has repaid them with arguably the worst season he has had as an NFL starter. Across 13 games for the Falcons, Cousins has generated plenty of production through the air. That hasn’t been the issue.
How bad has Kirk Cousins been for the Atlanta Falcons lately?
His 3,396 sit near the top of the NFL, and his 67% completion rate is in lockstep with his career average (66.9%). So, what is Kirk Cousins’ problem? He can’t stop giving the ball away. The 13-year NFL veteran has thrown 15 interceptions already.
Not only is that the most in the league, through 14 weeks… it’s also a career single-season high. How bad has it been? In his last four games, Kirk has thrown 8 interceptions and ZERO touchdowns. He hasn’t played this poorly since early on in Washington.
If he isn’t careful, that surging total INT number is going to surpass his TD total, which has been flatlined at 17 since November 3, when he threw three touchdown passes in a win vs the Dallas Cowboys. That was also the last time Atlanta tasted victory.
Cousins’ teammates want Michael Penix Jr…?
For Atlanta, there is hope. His name is Michael Penix Jr, and you drafted him No. 7 overall in April’s draft, in part to protect yourself, in case this exact scenario occurred. Kirk Cousins doesn’t feel that way. He left Minnesota, in large part to avoid this scenario.
A scenario where, not just fans and media, but his own teammates are starting to shift their QB gaze to his young, shiny first round rookie replacement. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz (FOX Sports), that is exactly what is starting to take place in the Falcons’ locker room.
“I truly believe the only reason that they haven’t gone to Michael Penix Jr. yet is because of optics. Because, the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed. I have had players inside that locker room tell me, point blank, Michael Penix Jr. is the best quarterback in this building.
The fact that they still have Kirk Cousins, who has the worst QBR in the red zone… who leads the NFL in picks (15), fumbles 12, and this is a team by the way with really good talent. You ask anybody around this league, and they’ll tell you, they have great weaponry. There’s Bijan [Robinson], [Kyle] Pitts, [Drake] London, [Darnell] Mooney, you go down the list. The fact that they are still with Cousins is because of optics.”
Jordan Schultz on Kirk Cousins for the Atlanta Falcons (Speak)
Did Cousins make a mistake by taking the money in Atlanta?
When Kirk Cousins hit the open market, suitors came running. The Atlanta Falcons gave a 36-year-old, coming off an achilles injury, a four-year deal worth up to $180 million. They quickly hedged their bet by drafting Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Now he’s pushing for playing time.
The former Vikings signal caller is clearly not the same player without his elite talent, and a head coach capable of making the difference helped too. With the Falcons Cousins was able to cash in again, but it remains to be seen if his career remains as fruitful from here.
There was a period where Kirk Cousins could have remained with the Minnesota Vikings. He would have needed to choose a legacy over dollars, and needed to deliver at the highest level. That never happened and now the scrutiny will continue forever.
