The Atlanta Falcons delayed the inevitable far longer than they should have continually sticking with Kirk Cousins. What made the quarterback's tenure so frustrating was what Atlanta watched early in the season from the veteran. After struggling in the first week of the season the Falcons finally had reason to believe they had a franchise quarterback.
Cousins made timely throws and had multiple clutch game-winning drives in big spots. The quarterback's lack of movement was frustrating, but it wasn't preventing the Falcons from scoring and finding ways to win. All of this changed drastically over the last five games with Cousins devolving leaving the Falcons no choice but to make the change for the season's final three games.
Could Kirk Cousins still be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback in 2025?
The answer to this question will be answered very quickly in the next two weeks of the season. If the Falcons win and Michael Penix Jr. looks the part of a future franchise quarterback this is the end of Cousins in Atlanta. For the veteran to have any path back into the lineup the rookie quarterback would have to deal with major struggles.
It would have to look a lot like the Falcons did when they had Desmond Ridder at the helm for Cousins to find his way back. Barring this happening or an injury to Penix before the end of the season this is the end of the veteran quarterback in Atlanta.
A frustrating ending for a player who wanted the fit to work and consistently was accountable for his mistakes. It isn't easy to see a deal end this way, however, it was Atlanta's only choice with how Cousins has been playing. The quarterback is going to have to find his way back into the league as a starter in another landing spot. As long as Penix shows any level of promise this job is locked into his hands with the Falcons now left wondering what to do with Kirk Cousins' massive contract this offseason.