'Surprised': Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Details Kirk Cousins Benching

At 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was walking through Costco when his phone rang.

It was Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson -- an eyebrow-raising call for Penix, then the backup quarterback to struggling starter Kirk Cousins, to receive for multiple reasons.

"He doesn't really call me that much, and especially at that time," Penix said Wednesday on Pro Football Talk. "I was like, 'Okay, he don't call me at this time. Something's going on.'"

Penix's intuition was correct. The Falcons benched Cousins, who threw only one touchdown and nine interceptions in his final five starts while Atlanta went just 1-4, and turned to Penix, their first-round choice in April's draft.

The 24-year-old Penix later said he purchased a Costco hot dog, but suddenly didn't feel hungry.

"I was surprised," Penix said.

Cousins's woes had been well-documented before his move to the bench. He led the NFL with 16 interceptions at the time of his benching. On Tuesday, he noted he suffered elbow and shoulder injuries from a hit suffered in a Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, which he feels led to his spiral.

Yet while Cousins struggled, Penix said he had no inkling the Falcons would bench the 36-year-old who's made four trips to the Pro Bowl.

"At that point, I was just continuing to stay ready," Penix said. "I didn't know what was going to happen. Obviously, it's not in our hands. So, for me, I always just control what I can control. I wasn't overthinking anything.

"I wasn't looking at it like, 'Oh, he's playing bad, I'm about to play,' or, 'I need to play.' I was just like, 'Whenever my time comes, I'm going to be ready for it,' and that's the only thing you can do in that position."

Penix proved he was, in fact, ready for the moment.

During his three-start stint to close the regular season, the 24-year-old went 58-for-100 passing for 737 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions and one rushing score. He threw for 312 yards and scored three times against the Carolina Panthers to close the campaign.

The Falcons feel they have their franchise quarterback -- and while Penix may have been surprised by the decision, his caliber of play inspired confidence there won't be any changes under center for the foreseeable future.

"Michael Penix is certainly outstanding," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after Atlanta's loss to Carolina. "He's certainly one of the guys that's going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for as long as we allow him."