Kirk Cousins will return as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback after Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury. While Cousins expressed sympathy for his teammate, he is focused on leading the team in their upcoming Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints.
“Obviously got a good opportunity against the Saints this week,” Cousins said. “But wanted to just acknowledge how tough the injury is for Michael. My heart breaks for him. He’s someone who has handled adversity so well through his football journey, and unfortunately, he’s having to do it again. But I’m very confident he has a lot of good football ahead of him. …
“And yeah, we’re just looking forward to getting to go against the Saints and trying to get back on track here and get things going in the right direction.”
Cousins was initially signed by Atlanta with plans for him to serve as starter before eventually passing the role to Penix. He led the team to a 6-3 record at first, completing nearly 70% of his passes and throwing 17 touchdowns against seven interceptions. However, after injuring his shoulder in Week 10 at New Orleans, both his performance and that of the team declined.
The Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris explained why Cousins remained with the organization even after being benched: “There’s 100% no doubt about that,” Morris said. “It was the whole purpose. I know there was a whole rush to move on and do all these other different things. But you’re talking about a great human, you’re talking about a guy you know can play.”
Despite limited playoff hopes—the New York Times’ playoff simulator estimates less than a 1% chance—Cousins brings experience as both backup and starter across multiple NFL teams since entering the league in 2012.
Reflecting on past advice from teammate D.J. Williams, Cousins emphasized maintaining perspective during difficult times: “‘I think it’s important to make sure you’re having fun even if the game goes tough, even if it doesn’t go the way you want. You can still find joy in what you do on a daily basis.'”
He added: “That’s something I’ve learned, is to just say, ‘Look, we’ve got to enjoy this. Regardless of outcomes, we’ve got to enjoy this, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the process of it. And then let the chips fall where they may.'”
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s position will remain unchanged as he continues calling plays from field level rather than from above.
“He’s handled everything the right way,” Robinson said regarding Cousins’ return as starter. “He wants to play. So, he’s getting an opportunity now.”
The Falcons are currently third in their division as they prepare for Sunday’s matchup.
