For the second time in as many seasons, Netflix's Quarterback docuseries featured an Atlanta Falcons starter whose season ended on the bench. Getting an inside look at Marcus Mariota and Kirk Cousins wasn't exactly a favorable walk down memory lane for Atlanta fans. Still, it did offer an inside look at details fans weren't otherwise privy to. For this season, the lasting takeaway is just how scared Cousins was of losing his job. Whether it is the quarterback's comments on playing through an injury or the reasoning offered for how the season went, the respect for Penix is clear.
If there is one promising thing for Falcons fans to take away from remembering the frustration, it is just how impressive Penix must've looked in practice all season. Cousins clearly understood that missing time to try getting healthy would lead to his benching. While playing through an injury ended the same way, the reasoning is easy enough to understand (even if it was a selfish choice). Penix has made it clear to his teammates what the expectations should be when he is in the starting lineup.
Netflix Series Reveals Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Was Scared of Losing Starting Role
Cousins understood that even his contract couldn't protect the veteran quarterback from what would happen if he let the injury heal. This is far from the first notable time this would've happened, with the Drew Bledsoe/Tom Brady comparison being the obvious go-to. However, this has happened in more recent history as well, with Tony Romo being replaced by Dak Prescott after missing time to start the season.
To argue with Cousins' logic wouldn't be fair, but it is within bounds to point out it was still a horrible decision for his team. Opting to stay in the lineup injured ruined the team's season and ended any hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It seems fitting that this is the decision that both ended Atlanta's season and resulted in the exact situation the veteran quarterback was scared of setting up by allowing his injury to heal.
For Atlanta, it hardly offers closure but does give the fan base a bit more understanding of why the 2024 season collapsed as it did. It makes it a bit easier to defend Zac Robinson and Raheem Morris as well, who were put in an impossible position but their veteran quarterback. All of this adds up to Falcons fans having every reason for excitement and high expectations that the 2025 season, led by the team's new quarterback, will finally have them turning a corner.