Falcons head coach Raheem Morris wasn’t ready to commit to a starting quarterback at his press conference Tuesday afternoon.

It didn’t take long for him to make a decision. Hours later, the Falcons announced that rookie Michael Penix Jr. would take over the starting quarterback position for Kirk Cousins. Penix, the No. 8 pick in April’s NFL Draft, will make his debut as an NFL starter on Sunday against the Giants (2-12) in Atlanta.

Earlier Tuesday, Morris said the following when asked if Cousins ​​would start on Sunday:

That was less than 24 hours after a tepid offensive performance in a narrow victory over a two-win Raiders team. But Morris alluded to his impending decision.

Penix takes the lead and the Falcons are 7-7 and fighting for a place in the playoffs. They are on the outside in the playoffs, but have a good chance of securing a spot in the postseason with remaining games against the Giants, Commanders and Panthers.

Until Tuesday, Morris remained steadfast in his support for Cousins.

“Kirk is our quarterback,” Morris said on Dec. 9 after a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. “Kirk is the guy who will lead us.”

Cousins ​​threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in the 42-21 road loss to his former team. The loss to the Vikings capped Atlanta’s four-game losing streak that eliminated them from the NFC playoffs.

Then came the game on Monday night. The Falcons won 15-9, but were unable to secure victory over the Raiders team with the worst record in the NFL until the very end of the game. Atlanta’s offense scored just one touchdown despite starting most drives in prime field position, on a night when the Falcons’ defense forced a fumble near midfield and its special teams blocked two punts.

Cousins ​​was inaccurate on several downfield throws and struggled with limited mobility that has plagued him since tearing his Achilles tendon last season. He finished the night completing 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Unless he unexpectedly returns to the field, Cousins ​​will finish his first season leading the Falcons to complete 66.9% of his passes for 7.7 yards per attempt and 250.6 yards per game with a team-worst 18 touchdowns in 14 games Have made 16 NFL interceptions.

This offseason, he joined the Falcons on a four-year, $180 million contract after playing six seasons with the Vikings. Two months after signing that contract with Cousins, Atlanta made a surprising decision in April, selecting Penix eighth overall. Now the Falcons have a chance to see if their heavily recruited rookie will pay off.

Penix has had limited reps in relief work and has completed three of five passes in two NFL appearances. He led one of college football’s most potent offensive attacks in Washington and will now have a chance to show how his talent translates to the NFL with the postseason on the line.