Falcons to 'Ignore the Noise' on Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr. QB Swap

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris discussed handling outside noise amid calls for Michael Penix Jr. to replace Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback.

Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins again find themselves as the center of attention. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback question first centered around the "why." Inevitably, it was going to become about the "when."

That time may be now.

When the Falcons drafted rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in April, the decision surprised many. After all, Atlanta gave four-time Pro Bowl veteran Kirk Cousins a four-year deal worth up to $180 million only a month and a half before.

Eventually, external discussion around the pick quieted. Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start and had two NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors to his name.

Now, conversations have restarted -- but in a different light.

Atlanta has lost each of its last three games, and Cousins hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in any of them. It's the longest touchdown drought of his career, a feat only worsened by his six combined interceptions.

Some fans and national pundits alike have called for Penix to replace the 36-year-old Cousins, who leads an offense that has scored one touchdown in its last nine quarters.

Yet while noise exists, the Falcons aren't listening to it.

"You knew the detail and the pressure that we put on all of us," Morris said during his press conference Wednesday. "So, we're ready for those deals. We're ready to deal with those pressures. We're ready to answer those questions. We're ready to ignore the same noise that we ignored when we drafted Penix."

Handling noise and pressure is nothing new to neither Cousins nor Morris, who noted Wednesday the quarterback and head coach often get most, if not all, of the praise or criticism. It's the territory of the job, he said.

To Morris, the NFL is built on performing under immense outside pressure. He's confident the Falcons will be able to block out any extra audio surrounding Cousins, Penix and the chance to make a switch.

“I know pressure in this league, you better be ready to deal, and it's all of us," Morris said. "We wouldn't be in this business if we weren't about pressure. I'd be a lawyer or something, not dealing with pressure. You’ve got to be ready to deal with pressure in this business. That's what we do.”

Cousins has plenty of pressure on him this week. He's coming off perhaps his worst performance as a professional, tossing four interceptions -- all in opposing territory -- in last Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Now, Cousins and the Falcons are preparing for the Minnesota Vikings, who Cousins played for the past six seasons. Atlanta's lead in the NFC South, once two games over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is now supported only by the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Morris said the Falcons brought in both Cousins and Penix for the positions they're currently in. For Cousins, Atlanta wanted to fight for a playoff spot and snap a six-year postseason drought. For Penix, the Falcons believe he's built to handle external hype while still supporting Cousins in the present.

And for Morris, the buzz around the situation is one he said he's never listened to.

"My whole deal is we picked Penix with a real purpose: our future quarterback, and when that happens, that happens," Morris said. "He's getting aligned, he's getting ready, and if he's called upon, he'll be ready. Right now, he's in full support of Kirk, and he knows Kirk’s going to bounce back, and we all feel the same way."

Penix has played sparingly this season, 3-of-5 passes for 38 yards in two appearances. Cousins, meanwhile, has completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,052 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he leads the NFL in both interceptions (13) and fumbles (12).

Still, the Falcons believe in Cousins, whose resume and spurts of brilliance this year suggest he can turn around his recent woes. Atlanta is similarly confident in Penix, but moreso in regard to executing the long-term plan.

The Falcons want to be consistent playoff contenders. They believe Cousins is their best option to satisfy that mission for the foreseeable future, while Penix's potential gives him a chance to do the same whenever Cousins leaves Atlanta.

So, quarterback controversy? Not to Morris.

"We fell in love with a young man that we felt can take us into the future, and that's what he's going to do, and that's what he's preparing to do," Morris said. "Right now, we're all here to support Kirk Cousins and rally around him so he can finish the job that he started for this football team while he got us into first place and able to finish this thing and go out there and get it done."