NFL expert makes bold prediction about Kirk Cousins' immediate future

Tuesday night, the Atlanta Falcons finally made the franchise-altering decision which many had been wondering about for a few weeks now.

Kirk Cousins has been benched in favor of rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. Head coach Raheem Morris had remained steadfast in his support of Cousins over the past month or so, amid some serious struggles from the veteran.

But, with the season on the line and playoff hopes still alive, Morris made the call to make a change. It was a bold move, to say the least. With the postseason still within reach, banking on a rookie quarterback rather than the guy just signed to a $180 million contract seems like as big a risk as you could take.

But, here we are.

Now, the questions start rolling in regarding Cousins' future. What happens to the contract he signed? Will the Falcons be paying for the most expensive backup in the league, going forward, or are they going to part ways with Cousins?

One NFL expert believes the Falcons will not end up trading Cousins. In fact, he thinks there's going to be a flat-out parting of ways, with Atlanta releasing him altogether.

What a fall from grace this would be for Cousins. Everybody laughed at the draft pick back in late April, but now, Atlanta could look like they made the smartest move when it was anything but obvious.

Now, it's on Penix to do what's necessary to get this team to the playoffs.

What does Michael Penix Jr. need to do in order for the Falcons to make the playoffs?

First of all, let's look at the three games Penix will be assigned with trying to win over the home stretch. The Falcons will host the New York Giants, travel to take on the Washington Commanders and end the season at home against the Carolina Panthers.

First of all, the Falcons need some help from the 9-5 Commanders and 8-6 Seattle Seahawks. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) continue to win and take hold of the division, then Washington and Seattle need to help out by losing a couple of games, if not all three of their remaining contests.

More Falcons news:

Two of the Falcons' remaining three games are against bottom-third defenses, with the Panthers checking in at 31st and Giants coming in 21st overall. But, the key here is that both Carolina and New York are abysmal against the run. Giving Penix a strong run game is going to be monumental for his early NFL success.

Fortunately, the Falcons have a formidable duo between Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the back field. It feels like the Giants and Panthers should end up being wins, so long as Penix doesn't flat-out stink. It's the Commanders matchup that will make or break the season, though. Washington has the NFL's fourth-best pass defense this year.

We're set up for a dramatic finish with this Falcons team. That we know for sure.