Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. will make the first start of his professional career today after Atlanta made the significant (but obvious) decision to bench the veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of the rookie passer. While Cousins ​​— who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason to lead the club toward a championship — obviously had a long leash, the Falcons believed Penix was ready to go right from the start to take the reins in hand.

As SI.com’s Albert Breer said in an interview last week TNF tonight program, Atlanta could have easily started Penix in Week 1 if necessary (video link). The Washington standout played six years in college, and even when Cousins ​​was at the top of the rankings, Penix was getting about 10 first-team reps a week while also seeing plenty of action with the scout team.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds further context, writing that Penix had the same listening device in his helmet as Cousins ​​during practice and watched film of what Cousins ​​did and then mentally went through it himself before he ran the same plays with the club’s young receivers. Rapoport also noted that there was a competitive period in every practice where Penix had the opportunity to call the Falcons’ plays instead of the scout team’s plays. Those occasions could be the same first-team picks Breer mentioned, but in any case, Atlanta has long believed that Penix is ​​physically and mentally prepared to take on the QB1 duties.

Of course, his arm strength and running ability should also open up the game plan. Breer notes that Cousins ​​injured his shoulder and elbow during a loss to the Saints in Week 10 and that the veteran signal-caller hasn’t been the same since. In fact, prior to this game in New Orleans, Cousins ​​was coming off a two-game stretch in which he threw seven touchdowns and no interceptions while posting QB ratings of 145.9 and 144.8. But in the next five games he threw only one touchdown against nine interceptions, and his physical ailments limited the Falcons’ play.

With Penix at the helm, there will be no such restriction and Cousins ​​is expected to be released in the offseason. Rapoport acknowledges that a release is generally viewed as the most likely outcome, but leaves open the possibility that the Falcons could retain Cousins ​​as a high-end backup/insurance policy given their obligation to keep his fully guaranteed salary Paying $27.5 million in 2025 anyway (and since Penix will still be on his cheap rookie deal).

The bigger issue, at least from a financial perspective, would be the $10 million 2026 roster bonus, which locks in if Cousins ​​is still on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year in March. Still, a return for Cousins ​​remains on the table and is more plausible than a trade. The four-time Pro Bowler has a full no-trade clause, and since he is much more valuable to another team as a free agent who could be acquired on a veteran minimum contract than a trade candidate, he is not expected to waived the NTC (His situation is similar Russell Wilson‘s, who was able to sign with the Steelers for the veteran minimum after being released by the Broncos this offseason as Denver was on the hook for his 2024 salary.

However, cousins ​​may be thinking about retiring. He will turn 37 before the 2025 season begins, and Rapoport says Cousins ​​will likely need about a month after the current season ends to consider his future as a player. If he were to talk about a career, he would lose a large sum of money, but the master negotiator has already earned close to $300 million from his NFL contracts.