It is funny to look back only two weeks ago and realize just how drastically things have changed for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Before the season-ending injury to Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta was hopeful of finding a way out of what appeared to be one of the league's most regrettable contracts. The only reason that Cousins remained on the roster was the fact that there wasn't a team willing to trade for this deal, leaving the Falcons the choice of either keeping the veteran as a backup option or paying a higher cap price to turn the page.
This obviously led to the veteran signal-caller spending the first part of the season behind Penix. While Cousins made two previous appearances this season, the outing against the New Orleans Saints was the first time he had been installed as the starter. This showed with Cousins playing his best game in over a year, throwing for two touchdowns and 199 yards.
Cousins threw a perfect deep ball to wideout Darnell Mooney for one of these touchdowns and looked the part of an NFL starting quarterback. The lone interception of the start wasn't the quarterback's fault, with the ball bouncing off the hands of Kyle Pitts and into Justin Reid, who would return the interception for the Saints' lone touchdown of the day.
If Cousins can string together similar performances, there's a chance he could be under center in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Kirk Cousins' Old Job Could Be Back on the Menu
It is important to note that this is just one game and far from changing how awful Cousins looked at the end of last season. However, there is also no denying the fact that it appears the Falcons are going to need a bridge quarterback to start the 2026 season. Penix has an extensive injury history in college and has now dealt with another knee injury at the next level.
Atlanta has every reason to be extremely cautious in bringing Penix back too quickly. This sets up an obvious scenario for the Falcons to employ a bridge quarterback in the 2026 season. Lacking their own first-round pick due to a 2025 trade for James Pearce Jr., Atlanta is going to be limited to searching in free agency or looking at currently rostered options, which puts Penix's more experienced counterpart back in the mix.
The simplest solution would be retaining Cousins and allowing the quarterback to play out another year of his contract. It is the opportunity that is now in front of the veteran gunslinger over the final weeks of the season. Even though Atlanta remains out of playoff contention, the end of this season is still incredibly meaningful to Cousins, as a strong finish to the campaign could make all the difference.
It'll be interesting to see if Cousins can make the most of his opportunity, proving that he's the Falcons' best QB option for 2026. He likely didn't envision himself being in this spot back in September, but here we are. Cousins may not deserve this second chance in the eyes of Atlanta fans, but the present reality can't be changed, leaving time to tell how the situation will unfold.