The Atlanta Falcons have two preseason games in the books and have just one left before the calendar turns over to the regular season.
Head coach Raheem Morris decided to rest his starters in both games thus far. He also let Kirk Cousins sit on the bench in these matchups, but that decision could lead to a surprising competition in the QB room.
One of the biggest storylines this offseason around the Falcons was whether Cousins would stick with the team or get traded away. Atlanta made it clear that Cousins would stay on the team as the QB2, but the vet has made it known he wants to start elsewhere, yet there were no takers.
Things can change on a daily basis in the NFL, and Easton Stick's play in the preseason could make the Falcons more open to dishing out Cousins and making the 29-year-old the backup.
Easton Stick’s Play in Preseason Could Make Kirk Cousins Disposable
In Friday's game against the Tennessee Titans, he was 19-of-32 for 173 passing yards with one touchdown and one pick. This is just one week after Stick went 15-of-18 for 149 yards and one passing touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of the preseason.
Since entering the league in 2020, Stick was a member of the Los Angeles Chargers and backed up Justin Herbert. Despite having just four starts under his belt, he knows what it takes to be a backup QB in the NFL.
We all know that Cousins is still the better player, even though he's 36 years old, but it appears that he's mentally checked out of being a Falcon. Yes, he's still at practice and is a voice that Michael Penix can go to for advice, but the veteran wants to play somewhere else.
Atlanta has made it clear this is Penix's job and that won't waver. Moving on from Cousins could be an option just to get the extra noise out of the building and lean on Stick as the QB2.
That isn't what the Falcons want to do in the second year of a four-year, $180 million deal they gave Cousins, but who cares? They already put him on the bench, so they might as well fully cut the cord and roll with Stick as the backup. Especially since he's been playing well in the first two preseason games.