Kirk Cousins Benching Calls Attention to QB Succession Plan Pitfalls

For NFL groups, quarterback succession plans will be one of many hardest procedures to tug off. Simply ask the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta stunned folks across the league on the 2024 NFL Draft when it chosen former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choose one month after signing veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. The scrutinized resolution was later defended by staff administration as a safeguard transfer to keep away from quarterback purgatory.

The plan seemed to be that the 24-year-old Penix would research underneath Cousins earlier than ultimately taking on as QB1 down the street. However eight months later, with Cousins in 12 months considered one of his contract and the staff’s first playoff look in seven years nonetheless in attain, the Falcons already appear prepared to maneuver on. After Cousins underwhelmed on Monday evening, the most recent in a string of subpar performances, Atlanta introduced it could bench the veteran in favor of Penix, who will make his first profession begin towards the New York Giants this Sunday.

“You’re seeing the consequence of when rigorously thought by way of plans go awry,” former NFL super-agent Leigh Steinberg mentioned in a cellphone interview. “That should have been an excoriating resolution for the coach and entrance workplace.”

The american has all of the sudden destabilized the staff’s quarterback scenario whereas creating a possible expensive transition for the Falcons, who’re on the hook to pay Cousins $27.5 million subsequent season assured no matter whether or not the 14 begins he’s made this season are it for him with the franchise. Within the occasion the Falcons minimize or commerce him, his useless cap hit would nonetheless probably dent their roster-building flexibility by way of 2026.

“If you happen to received’t play your franchise quarterback with closely assured cash in a important circumstance since you imagine you might have a greater likelihood to win with (Penix), it’s like a hand grenade thrown in the course of this well-thought out plan,” mentioned Steinberg, who has represented a document eight No. 1 draft picks, together with former Falcons star quarterback Steve Bartkowski.

The Inexperienced Bay Packers are arguably the league’s finest at quarterback succession planning. For over 20 years, they have been led on the place by present and future Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers in Brett Favre (now retired) and Aaron Rodgers (now with the New York Jets). Packers starter Jordan Love, who changed Rodgers final 12 months after serving because the backup for 3 seasons, has been thought-about for Professional Bowl honors and continues to indicate promise. No less than sufficient for the franchise to signal him to a four-year, $220 million deal (together with a document $75 million signing bonus), making him one of many league’s highest-paid gamers.

Each NFL staff aspires for that degree of continuity and stability. It’s tough to execute. Circumstances just like the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs deciding on reigning Tremendous Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes within the first spherical in 2017 whereas nonetheless having then-veteran starter Alex Smith are rarer than gold. It’s extra widespread for normal managers to snag a possible long-term starter within the draft and pray they’ll be prepared when their quantity known as. Daniel Jones, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Kenny Pickett, Mac Jones and Mitchell Trubisky all didn’t adequately substitute their groups’ incumbents.

The Falcons’ opponent this week has had its personal quarterback drama because it nonetheless tries to fill the sneakers left by Eli Manning 5 years in the past. The Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are further groups that may very well be eyeing a brand new franchise quarterback this upcoming draft in April.

Thus, the Falcons are solely the most recent staff to exemplify why seamless quarterback succession plans are powerful to efficiently full. Atlanta has had a spot since buying and selling its all-time passing chief Matt Ryan in 2022. The offseason strikes to pay Cousins greater than anybody on this 12 months’s free-agent class and choose Penix regardless of different positional wants was maybe an overcorrection. Now, the staff is gazing a possible useless cap variety of $65 million, which might be second all-time behind Russell Wilson, who left Denver earlier this 12 months with a complete useless cap worth of $85 million, the biggest in NFL historical past. If the Falcons launch Cousins after June 1, although, they are often unfold the hit over two years and take in a $40 million cap cost subsequent season as a substitute.

Whereas the Falcons have pushed the button on their succession plan sooner than anticipated, the lefty Penix might rise to the event regardless of restricted preseason recreation reps. The choice to present assured money to a then-35-year-old Cousins coming off an Achilles harm will be forgiven if Penix can remind folks why he was one of the crucial electrical gamers in faculty soccer final 12 months. He completed second in Heisman Trophy balloting whereas throwing for practically 5,000 yards and main the Huskies to the nationwide championship recreation.

Cousins, who has greater than $294 million in profession earnings, has handed the torch with class, however it stays to be seen whether or not his understudy is prepared for the lead function. It’s unsure what expectations the staff now has for Penix this season, however it’s clear that the Falcons’ QB technique is in overdrive and represents the league-wide dilemma introduced to groups which have handed out assured cash and later need to unseat that participant.

“This can be a very dramatic transfer to make this late within the season within the midst making an attempt to be a wild-card staff,” Steinberg added. “It sends a transparent sign that in a time of disaster they’re turning to a younger quarterback.”