Why Have The Atlanta Falcons Completely Abandoned Kirk Cousins?

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6 days ago

Why Have The Atlanta Falcons Completely Abandoned Kirk Cousins? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Atlanta Falcons have seemingly abandoned Kirk Cousins. Is it due to injury? Or something else?
Ever since the Atlanta Falcons benched Kirk Cousins with three weeks to go during last season, one can only speculate about why that was the case. Was it due to injury? Well, no. Cousins kept the severity of the injury to himself for the most part. Was it due to less-than-stellar play, having nine interceptions to no touchdowns in a few weeks? Possibly.
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You can also ask yourself if Cousins' play was due to the injury itself. If this is the case, it makes you think whether or not the Falcons have completely abandoned Cousins less than one year into the $180 million contract. Don't forget, the Falcons were sitting pretty atop the NFC South at 6-3 before it all went downhill.
Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Is Cousins being punished for the negligence in not informing them about the injury? Maybe, but that doesn't sit right. Yes, he should have come forward and stated that he was hurting both with his ankle and now his shoulder, hindering him from getting any zip on the ball whatsoever. But, does Kirk deserve another chance to start, given how well the Falcons were playing last year before he got hurt?
It seems that Atlanta is entirely against ever starting Cousins again, unless Penix Jr. goes down with an injury, or he doesn't play well in Atlanta's first five weeks of the season, while playing four playoff teams from a season ago. Yes, Penix Jr. looked good at times, and the backup quarterback is always the most popular guy on the team, but, with Cousins waiting patiently in the wings, are they willing to give the ball to him in a time of need? Or will they bypass him for someone else to hold the withdrawal of information over his head until he's gone?
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Will the fans in Atlanta call on Cousins if things start terribly? So many questions will need to be answered within the first five weeks of the season, but Atlanta may be jumping the gun a little.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.