Almost immediately after the Atlanta Falcons surprisingly made quarterback Michael Penix Jr. the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, reporters and analysts suggested that Atlanta could look to move on from veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins following the ongoing season.
While ESPN's Jeremy Fowler insisted in a piece published Wednesday that the Falcons "appear perfectly happy with Cousins," Fowler also hinted the 36-year-old will spend the next two months or so playing to extend his Atlanta tenure beyond Super Bowl LIX.
"We can take information given to us and make educated assumptions," Fowler said. "When I've asked people around the league whether they expect the Falcons to show restraint and sit Michael Penix Jr. for multiple years, the majority responded that they do not. The logic is simple: First-rounders play and play early, barring a few exceptions."
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed back in March. It's now hardly a secret he wasn't thrilled Atlanta spent a first-round draft pick to land Penix in April, and ESPN's Marc Raimondi noted as recently as Tuesday that the former Washington Huskies star "isn't your typical rookie quarterback" at the age of 24.
"Perhaps the Falcons can...play Cousins at least through his two years of guarantees at $90M, which would be the prudent thing to do," Fowler continued. "But that leads me to what coach Raheem Morris told me this offseason: 'When do you transition to a new quarterback? When he can't win.' He, being the current quarterback. So how Atlanta finishes the season could play a part."
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 4-3 Falcons as the betting favorites at -165 odds to claim the NFC South division title for this season over a Tampa Bay Buccaneers side that is dealing with significant injury setbacks this fall. Also on Wednesday, DraftKings Sportsbook had Atlanta as a 2.5-point favorite for this coming Sunday's game at 4-3 Tampa Bay.
Logic suggests the Falcons will hold onto Cousins through at least next September if he guides the club to a division championship and stays healthy. If, however, Atlanta misses the playoffs, Cousins and his current employer may ultimately agree by March 2025 that they should call time on this experiment and split.
