Kirk Cousins gets REAL about Falcons benching him for Michael Penix Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons benched Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after his horrible performance over the past five games.

Kirk Cousins gets REAL about Falcons benching him for Michael Penix Jr.

Kirk Cousins understands the franchise's decision to bench him (Image via Bleacher Report/X)

The Atlanta Falcons have decided to bench Kirk Cousins for their final three games. In turn, rookie Michael Penix Jr. will start as the franchise looks to continue fighting for a playoff place. But in the grand scheme of things, their veteran quarterback is still under contract for a significant amount of money.

The Falcons took the decision after Cousins threw nine interceptions to one touchdown in their last five games. Those interceptions led to four straight losses which almost threw them out of playoff contention.

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More importantly, the offense stagnated with the 36-year-old leading them. Their last win against the Las Vegas Raiders saw that stagnation in full effect as he threw for just 112 yards. That is when they decided they had seen enough from the four-time Pro Bowler. But the quarterback understands the business side as he explained to reporters at the Falcons facilities earlier.

It’s pro football. You know, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, or the team has for me…unfortunately I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough. You still get ready, one play away kind of a thing and support Mike. And just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three to get into the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins to reporters

Kirk Cousins acknowledged that he did not play to his own standards, and he accepted the change his team informed him off. He declared he will support Michael Penix Jr. so that the team can reach the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons are at the mercy of Kirk Cousins in any potential trade

As soon as the news went viral of this change at quarterback, fans felt the Atlanta Falcons would trade Kirk Cousins. The obvious understanding was that the team could recuperate some draft capital. But the nature of Cousins’ contract is a hindrance to that possibility as The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov explained.

Kirk Cousins' no-trade clause could force the hand of the Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins’ no-trade clause could force the hand of the Atlanta Falcons (Image via X)

Kirk Cousins’ no-trade clause is significant. The Falcons will have paid Cousins $90M for 14 starts, and trading him may be impossible without his cooperation, meaning he can become a free agent again.

Ari Meirov on X

This means, Kirk Cousins might not let the Atlanta Falcons off the hook that easily. His no-trade clause means the franchise could be forced to cut him. It is similar to how Derek Carr forced the Las Vegas Raiders into cutting him after paying him his money.

The Falcons have not made a decision yet about their future with Cousins. But a bad game or two from Michael Penix Jr. could bring the veteran back into the fold. If the veteran does not allow a trade, the franchise could hold off until next season to end up with a smaller cap hit than it would if they cut him now.