Looking ahead, the Atlanta Falcons shocked many with their selection of Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The future is now, as Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced Tuesday that he is benching Kirk Cousins ​​and starting Penix on Sunday against the New York Giants and for the rest of the season.

“After review, we have determined that Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback moving forward,” head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

Cousins ​​has struggled a lot lately, having thrown one touchdown and nine interceptions in Atlanta’s last five games.

After Monday’s 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Morris, who had steadfastly supported Cousins, changed his tone and said the team would “look at everything” at the position. In a press conference early Tuesday, Morris expressed no commitment to keeping Cousins ​​in the starting lineup.

That led to Cousins, despite signing a four-year, $180 million free agent contract before this season, being moved to the bench and Penix making his first NFL start on Sunday.

While 7-7 Atlanta hopes for a bright future with Penix, it also needs to examine what lies ahead for the 36-year-old Cousins.

Cousins ​​ended his time with the Minnesota Vikings and his 2023 season with a torn Achilles tendon before inking a long-term deal with the Falcons to become their franchise quarterback, but instead lasted less than a season under center. He will be moved aside for Penix as the club has fantastic autumn days ahead of them, but the Falcons will first have to deal with some unfortunate finances following the loss of Cousins.

Putting Cousins ​​on the bench now avoids a situation where the QB could get injured in the final three weeks of the season, which would guarantee an additional $10 million for injuries, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.

Pelissero also pointed out the Falcons’ options with Cousins ​​on offense, none of which were particularly enticing.

Should the team release him before March 16, 2025 without a post-June 1 appointment, it would still owe Cousins ​​$27.5 million in fully guaranteed cash, along with a dead cap hit of 65 million US dollars.

If the Falcons cut Cousins ​​before March 16 with a post-June 1 appointment, they would still owe him $27.5 million but could spread the dead cap hit over two years – 40 million US dollars in 2025 and 25 million US dollars in 2026.

There’s also the possibility of trading Cousins, but the QB would have to agree to it. Atlanta would then have a dead cap number of $37.5 million in 2025, but save $27.5 million in cash and $2.5 million in cap space, Pelissero added.

Finally, the Falcons could keep Cousins ​​on the roster beyond March 16, with another $10 million fully guaranteed. This choice seems “unimaginable,” Pelissero noted.

There will be more about the NFL soon.