Kirk Cousins Yet to Lose Importance as Falcons QB Despite Raheem Morris Giving Bad News Before Season

When your starting defense’s biggest challenge in practice is the guy running the second-team offense, you know you have a unique situation. “It’s incredible,” Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss said about facing his team’s backup quarterback. “He’s playing a game out there. We’re not just getting practice reps… It’s not like the guy that’s a second-[teamer], or a rookie that’s just trying to remember what his plays are.” That kind of praise isn’t typical for a QB2, but then again, nothing about Kirk Cousins’ situation in Atlanta is typical.

After losing his starting job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. late last season, the entire league spent the spring speculating on the veteran’s future. Cousins made his desires known, even lobbying owner Arthur Blank for a release to find a starting job elsewhere. The Falcons’ facility felt like a powder keg with a very expensive fuse. But they couldn’t have just let him go… It doesn’t happen like that. Why?

There are 3 reasons:

• The experience he has.
• The money they invested in him.
• And the fact that none of the teams were bold enough to bank on Kirk as the starter anymore. Especially after the career-high 16 picks he threw last season.

But that experience part is still very dear to the Falcons. It’s not lost what Kirk brings, even as a backup.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin said it clearly, while ranking Kirk as the No.1 backup QB in the league right now. Talking about the 37-year-old’s importance, Cody wrote: “After a long spring of speculation regarding his future, Cousins is right where he ended a tumultuous 2024 season: on the bench as Michael Penix Jr.’s No. 2. His arm may be fading at age 37, but he flashed his trademark precision at times in his Atlanta debut, and he’s got 159 starts under his belt. You can’t really buy that kind of experience.”

Cody is urging the fans to look beyond the 2024 season because, as he wrote, “This year is all about seeing what Penix has to offer for the Falcons, but if he’s needed, either in Atlanta or elsewhere, you can bet he’ll be motivated to reclaim a job.” As for the other 2 reasons, well, back in April, Raheem Morris set the records straight

“We invested in Kirk last year,” Morris said, while adding, “We invested in some major way, and right now we feel really strong about him being our backup quarterback and the things he can do for us.” A $180 million deal, to be precise. His guaranteed $27.5 million this year and a no-trade clause he’d only waive for a starting opportunity made finding a trade partner a near-impossible task. Fast forward to now, Kirk has accepted fate and embraced the role. But he might be in for a surprise.

And the fact that the Falcons released quarterback Easton Stick made it clear that no way the ‘trade’ will happen. At least, not in the 2025 season anyway. That’s the reality, whether or not Cousins likes it.

Kirk Cousins’ backup role still carries starter-level weight

While some might expect a disgruntled veteran, Cousins has been the consummate professional. Head coach Raheem Morris, who coached Cousins in Washington, never doubted it. “He’s not that,” Morris said of anyone expecting Cousins to be a distraction. “And those are the things that I was really confident in when I knew he can be here and do whatever needs to get done… I don’t blame him for wanting to go somewhere else and try to start. I [would] too.”

That professionalism has transformed the quarterback room. Passing game coordinator TJ Yates noted that he and QB coach DJ Williams often just sit back and let Cousins and Penix go back and forth, turning film sessions into invaluable masterclasses. “Kirk has been an absolute pro in every part of the process so far in how much he helps Mike,” Yates said. “It is not an easy task for him to do and it’s foreign to him, but he’s handling everything like a pro and we’re lucky to have him in the room.”

Ultimately, Cousins’ greatest value may now lie in the daily grind. As Elliss pointed out, having a quarterback with 159 career starts running the scout team provides the Falcons’ first-team defense a live-fire test that can’t be replicated. He processes, manipulates coverages, and makes throws that most backups can’t, sharpening the team’s starters for game day. The Falcons may not get to see Cousins lead a game-winning drive this season. However, his presence ensures that the players on the field are better prepared than they would be otherwise. His role has changed, but his standard of excellence hasn’t.