Michael Penix Jr. is 'our guy,' says Falcons coach Raheem Morris amid Kirk Cousins questions
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is firmly squashing any talk that Kirk Cousins could take over as quarterback for Michael Penix Jr.
The possibility arose when Cousins came in for Penix late in the Falcons' 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. When he was benched, Penix had thrown two interceptions while completing 18-of-36 passes for 172 yards. Cousins threw for 29 yards on 5-for-7 passing.
When asked if Cousins could be considered as the starting QB after the game, Morris definitively answered "No." The change was only made because the game was "out of hand."
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The coach repeated that sentiment to reporters on Wednesday.
"We're not even close to that with Mike. He had a bad day. We had a bad day," Morris said, via reporter Terrin Waack. "Mike is our quarterback. We got a lot of confidence in Mike. We're moving forward with Mike. Mike's the guy."
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Penix has struggled in his first three games this season. He's completed 59% of his passes with one touchdown and two interceptions, while averaging 6.1 yards per attempt.
"It starts with me," Penix said, via ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "I've gotta be better with my execution."
Michael Penix Jr. "I gotta throw the ball to wide open receivers when they are open." #Falcons
- Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) September 24, 2025
"I gotta throw the ball to wide-open receivers when they are open," he added.
Penix also said having offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on the sideline, rather than up in the coaches' box, should help. Morris revealed that change being made on Monday amid the team's offensive struggles, ranking 13th among NFL teams in total yards.
Cousins' appearance during Week 3's defeat could also serve as an audition for any team looking for help due to quarterback injuries, including the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and New York Jets. However, leading up to Week 3's slate, no team had reportedly contacted the Falcons to show any interest in the 14-year veteran.
A major reason for that might be that Cousins isn't being paid like a backup QB. He's in the second year of a four-year, $180 million contract that ranks him among the NFL's top 15 at the position. Shortly after signing Cousins, the Falcons made Penix their first-round pick. Atlanta is reportedly asking for any trade partner to take on most of that contract, along with a high draft pick in exchange.
Cousins was also benched in favor of Penix last season because he wasn't playing well. He threw a league-leading 16 interceptions, despite compiling 3,508 passing yards. That performance raised concerns that he could no longer be an effective NFL quarterback after recovering from a torn Achilles.
Penix has the confidence of his head coach, but if he continues to struggle, the questions about whether or not Cousins could get the starting job back will keep coming.