Is Kirk Cousins’ job in jeopardy?

The Atlanta Falcons made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason, signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million with $100 million guaranteed. This was a big move for an Atlanta team that has a ton of talent skill position player-wise but had a hole at the quarterback position.

The Falcons signing Cousins made it incredibly shocking that Atlanta then, with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft, chose to select Michael Penix Jr. No disrespect to Penix who could easily be a good NFL quarterback one day, but the pick made no sense at the time, with Cousins locked in on big money for multiple years.

The Falcons clearly expect Penix to be a star in the NFL sometime in the not-too-distant future. That’s the only explanation they can possibly have for taking him. With the fact that they love him in mind, should Penix having as good of a start to his career as he has in Falcons camp worry Cousins in regard to his job security?

Michael Penix Jr. raising eyebrows shouldn’t worry Kirk Cousins… yet

Here’s what Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated had to say about Penix’s emergence:

“Michael Penix Jr. has been impressive in Atlanta, particularly while he’s run the second-team offense against the first-team defense. He’s come along fast with the operational elements he had to learn, getting guys in and out of the huddle, and he’s getting a better feel for progressing to the backside of some of the Falcons’ new passing concepts. What Atlanta can already see is his ability to push the ball down the field. Those there say he’s giving the team a handful of wow throws every week.”

As encouraging as it is to see Penix doing what he has done with second-teamers against the starters on defense, it’s hard to make the argument that Cousins should worry yet.

The Falcons signed Cousins and gave him all of that money to play. He’s their undisputed Week 1 starter. Not only does Cousins have an outstanding track record, but he was having arguably his best season yet in 2023 before suffering his season-ending Achilles injury.

While Cousins has the job locked in for now, there could be reason for him to be concerned if he struggles and/or suffers another injury. Penix will be the team’s backup, and if he continues to progress, Raheem Morris might feel comfortable turning to him as the team’s starter sooner than Cousins might like.

The Falcons have a lot invested in Cousins, but the same can be said about Penix. It’s Cousins’ job for the next couple of years if he plays well, but if he regresses or has to miss time, that can change. The better Penix plays, the smaller Cousins’ leash actually is.