They say quarterbacks define eras. And they do. But sometimes? It’s what they do after getting benched that really tells you who they are. Alex Smith, Kurt Warner, or Terry Bradshaw are among those names. But, in Atlanta, when the Falcons made the call to move on from their QB1, Kirk Cousins, late last season, the headline wasn’t the benching itself. Fans had seen enough on the field to expect it. So, will Cousins rise again, just like the legends mentioned above? Uh….it’s dicey to answer at the moment. However, what’s important in the franchise is to look at how both the quarterbacks, Cousins & Michael Penix Jr., will come up together?

This week, Penix Jr. joined FanDuel Sports Network to talk about his team, the practice, as well as fellow-mate, Kirk Cousins. The young QB revealed that when he stepped in, the guy he replaced didn’t storm off, sulk, or fade into the background. And no, this isn’t a football story. It’s about character, resilience, and what it means to be a teammate when the spotlight moves on.

“He’s a first-class guy in everything he does,” Michael Penix Jr. said about Kirk Cousins. The QB, who took the veteran’s role after Week 16, has only positive words to speak about Cousins. In the league where ego and pride speak volumes, the two clearly demonstrate a good bonding. Take Joe Flacco’s final year in Baltimore, when he clearly rejected the role of a ‘mentor‘ for young Lamar Jackson, who took over mid-season in 2018.

Contrast that with Kirk. “From day I got in, I always told him I had his back if he ever needed me, and he’s been the same for me ever since. He called me ‘I just want you to know I’m here in your corner. No bad blood between us.’ He added, “We were open with each other about our feelings about the whole situation.” This offseason has been chaotic. For good and bad. But this might just be the most wholesome thing to come out of it.

And it’s not a new thing with Kirk. He’s always been one for the locker room. Back when Kirk Cousins first landed in Minnesota, the pressure was huge. He was stepping in after Case Keenum’s magical 2017 run. It’s that season that brought the Vikings to the brink of a Super Bowl and won over the entire locker room. Cousins wasn’t just the new quarterback; he was the guy replacing someone teammates genuinely loved. It could’ve gone sideways real fast.

But instead of keeping his distance, Cousins leaned in. He put in the work, stayed late, and focused on earning trust. Guys like Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs spoke openly about how Cousins was always looking to build connections, both on and off the field. Chemistry doesn’t build instantly, but it’s about how much effort you put into building it. Kirk Cousins? He puts in a good amount. In the Falcons, too. But still, your good character doesn’t earn you the starter role.

Will Kirk Cousins look for a trade?

While you can argue that Kirk Cousins has fallen off a cliff, his performance last season wasn’t ‘disgraceful.‘ In 14 starts for Atlanta in 2024, Kirk Cousins completed 303 of 453 passes (66.9%) for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, finishing with an 88.6 passer rating. He delivered a franchise-best 509-yard, 4-touchdown performance at one point, but costly turnovers down the stretch caused a losing run that ultimately led to him being sidelined.

And that mid-December slump? It sealed his fate. Michael Penix Jr. stepped in for the Falcons late in 2024, starting three games and playing parts of another. He threw for 775 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Now these aren’t ‘earth-shattering‘ stats. But after Cousins’ underwhelming last stretch of the season, the pressure was mounting from fans and the media. So this decision? A shift in culture. Falcons are going all-in on the youth. And in the long run, this will be fruitful.

So, will Kirk stay and immerse himself in a mentor role, or is he seeking trade options? Well, his big contract and the no-trade clause have made things tricky. Rumours of offseason trade talks swirled, with teams like the Saints and even a possible Vikings reunion in the mix. But between the money and the asking price, nothing has materialised just yet.

One big thing standing in the way of a Kirk Cousins trade is money. He’s guaranteed $27.5 million this year, plus there’s already a $10 million bonus locked in for 2026. So, the Falcons would be open to a deal if the team trading for him agrees to cover $10 million of his 2025 salary and take on that future bonus, too. Right now, there’s no trade market for Cousins, but that could change fast if a starting QB goes down somewhere. And if that happens, and both sides work out a deal, Cousins would likely waive his no-trade clause to go start for another team.

That means Kirk Cousins holds the keys to his future thanks to that no-trade clause, but it also means nothing happens unless he says so. So far, he hasn’t waived it, which keeps any potential move stuck in neutral. And from what we can make from his words? He’s very happy staying at Falcons, even in a supportive role.