Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons are on an ugly two-game skid. Losses to the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos before their bye week have left them with a bad taste in their mouth.
Despite leading the Falcons to six wins and first place in the NFC South, former Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert isn't sold on the current quarterback, Kirk Cousins. He firmly believes his former team can only make a postseason run with their rookie quarterback leading the charge.
Kurt Benkert believes Falcons have to start Michael Penix Jr.
After the signing of Kirk Cousins and the drafting of Michael Penix Jr., we all knew moments of quarterback controversy would arise for the Falcons. Fans and the media would abandon ship at the first sign of trouble.
Kurt Benkert, who played for the Dirty Birds from 2018 to 2020, is among those who aren't sold on Cousins.
We can revisit this in a year or two when this ages.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) November 19, 2024
The Falcons aren’t a Super Bowl team this year with Kirk, and they won’t be next year with Kirk.
Yes they will win games and probably make the playoffs.
But we know the type of team you really want. And that’s with Penix Jr.
If you agree with him, I have some bad news: Michael Penix Jr. won't start barring an injury or a meaningless late-season game.
The issue with this assessment is Kirk Cousins does give you the best chance to win now and in the future. He played consistent football in the postseason despite his poor overall record. You also have to take his record with a grain of salt considering he is surrounded by a completely new team.
Not saying this is a reason for his opinion on Cousins but it is worth noting that Benkert grew up and eventually played for the Packers. The Packers were also Cousins' division rival for a long time and we all know how fandom can work in the NFL.
The entirety of the Atlanta Falcons roster has not played well the past couple of weeks. All the blame shouldn't land on the shoulders of the quarterback. He has certainly not been elite these past two games but neither has the offensive line or defense.
Don't expect any sweeping changes at quarterback from Raheem Morris.