Cousins’ struggles with ball security essentially forced the Falcons to make the change — albeit too late to inspire a late-season turnaround they needed to stay in the playoff hunt — and scored a minor victory for a front office that weathered plenty of criticism once it spent a first-round pick on Penix less than two months after handing Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal.
The matter hasn’t exactly faded into the background, either. Cousins’ candid, emotional revelations regarding his benching have commanded attention following the release of the second season of the Quarterback docuseries on Netflix.
But Penix’s own admissions have spun the matter in a positive light. If Falcons fans are searching for reasons to feel optimistic entering 2025, they can find them in the southpaw wearing No. 9, who boiled down his goals to the basics.
“It’s still just football. That’s the biggest thing,” Penix said. “Once you get on the field, it’s still football. Throw it to your team. Don’t throw it to the other team.”
While it likely wasn’t intended as a veiled shot at Cousins, Penix’s response will remind fans of what led to Cousins’ sharp downfall in 2024 when he led the league with 16 interceptions in only 14 games. Ball security remains paramount, and if Penix can help himself in any area in year two, it’s by protecting possession.
From there, he can use his strong arm and athletic gifts to propel the Falcons toward a goal they seemed to be on track to achieve before the wheels fell off in 2024.
“Postseason. Gotta get to the postseason,” Penix said. “(Falcons fans) get rocking when we’re winning, so definitely want to get back to that. Winning football games, so we can have the city turnt.”
Such an outcome might not follow the blueprint Atlanta laid out for itself a year ago, but in the NFL, things change quickly. Winners adjust to the pressure and react without hesitation. Penix will aim to do just that in 2025 — which just might help folks forget about the disappointment of 2024.