Life comes at you fast: one second, you’re about to eat one of the most affordable meals you can find in this inflation-driven world; the next you get a call and are told you are the new starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
At least, that was the case for Michael Penix Jr., who found out he was getting the starting job in Atlanta while shopping at Costco with his girlfriend.
As he told reporters, he was about to buy one of the store’s famous $1.50 hot dogs when he got the call from head coach Raheem Morris about the change, and from there, he immediately lost his appetite.
“As you can imagine, it was some nerves, it was excitement, but I’m very blessed to be in this position, very blessed to be on this team for this opportunity,” Penix said.
Penix replaces previous starter Kirk Cousins, who has been struggling in his transition from Minnesota to Atlanta this season after signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons.
After a poor performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, Falcons coach Raheem Morris pulled the plug on Cousins and will now start the University of Washington rookie.
Michael Penix Jr. said he was at Costco about to buy a hot dog when head coach Raheem Morris informed him he was taking over as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback.
Penix replaces previous starter: former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins
Speaking to reporters after the decision was made, Cousins said he understood the decision being made and said he would offer help to Penix. He also added that he spoke to Penix after Morris benched him.
“It’s professional football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that unfortunately, I wasn’t playing to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said Wednesday in his first comments since the trade.
“And so, it is what it is, and you move forward and now you still prepare, kind of ‘one play away,’ and you support Mike and you try to help our team find a way to win these last few.” three to make the playoffs, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Cousins said he spoke to Morris on the phone Tuesday night, where he was told Penix would start down the stretch.
After the phone call ended, Cousins called Penix: “Just let him know that I’m going to be on your side and support you and try to help you in any way I can,” Cousins said.
When asked why he felt he should call him, Cousins simply said, “I like to shoot the elephants in the room, so I just wanted to shoot one.”
With cries from the fan base calling for a trade, Morris pulled the trigger and will now start for Penix when the Falcons host the New York Giants this week.
This makes the Falcons’ decision to sign Cousins, 36, in the summer seem even worse now than when his contract was agreed upon.
Cousins had a terrible performance on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal was criticized at the time the Falcons announced it, especially considering $100 million of that amount was guaranteed money.
Now, with the first season of that contract not even over, Penix has been inserted into the starting role at a time when the Falcons likely need to win to make the playoffs.
Cousins currently ranks seventh in the NFL in passing yards (3,508) and 13th in completion percentage.
But his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 18-16 ranks terribly compared to other NFL starters, especially when it comes to teams in playoff contention.
The decision comes after Cousins’ absolutely mediocre performance against one of the worst teams in the league: the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Monday Night Football, Cousins only completed 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception in an ugly 15-9 win.
Earlier on Tuesday, Morris publicly criticized Cousins for his poor performances.
“He’s got to play better and obviously you’ve got to go back, you’ve got to be able to see everything,” Morris told reporters. “But he wants to play better.” He has to play better. “We have to find a way to make him play better.”
Against a team he should have handled easily, he threw for 112 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Penix was selected with the eighth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft after a college campaign that ended with him leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan Wolverines.
The Falcons surprised analysts and fans when they drafted Penix, especially since it came about a month after they signed Cousins.
Cousins himself admitted that he was “surprised” when the organization selected the rookie. Now, that decision appears to have paid off for the Falcons.
According Spotracthe Falcons have a potential exit in 2026 that will leave them with $35 million in dead cap space if they decide to part ways with their cousins.
If Cousins is somehow on the roster in 2026, he will receive a $10 million bonus. The same bonus applies if he is on the roster in 2027.
Cousins’ deal also includes a full no-trade clause.
He currently earns a base salary of $12.5 million this season, which will increase to $27.5 million next season.
Atlanta (7-7) has mixed results in the last three games of its season.
The decision to move Penix to eighth overall, which was questioned at the time, appears to have paid off for Atlanta as they look to advance to the playoffs with three games remaining.
They host the Giants next week and the Carolina Panthers in their final game of the season, with a tough road trip to the Washington Commanders in between.
The division-leading team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6), has a much easier path to the division title.
The Bucs play their final regular-season road game this week against the struggling Dallas Cowboys before hosting the Panthers and then the New Orleans Saints.
Since Tampa Bay is the favorite to win those three games, it means the Falcons may have to wait for a wild card spot.
Atlanta currently sits in ninth place in the NFC playoff standings, behind the eighth-place Seattle Seahawks and the seventh-place Commanders for the final wild card spot. According to ESPN, the Falcons have a 29 percent chance of making the playoffs.