Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins looks like he will get another shot as the Atlanta Falcons‘ starting quarterback.
Cousins stepped in for starter Michael Penix Jr. in Week 11 after Penix exited the game with a shoulder injury.
Although it appeared minor, a second look proved devastating for Penix.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday, November 17, that Penix “suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Penix will be seeking a second opinion, but it is not encouraging.”
ESPN sources: Falcons QB Michael Penix suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Penix will be seeking a second opinion, but it is not encouraging.
On Sunday, Cousins completed 6 of 14 passes for 48 yards but could not put together a game-winning drive in an eventual 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers.
In one start this season, Cousins went 21-for-31 for 173 yards and no touchdowns in a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on October 26.
When the Vikings fell 22-6 to the Falcons in Week 2, Atlanta looked like world beaters with a vaunted defense and Penix playing effectively with the ball.
However, the Falcons have not found that same level of play after starting the season 3-2. Atlanta has lost five straight games, including back-to-back overtime losses. The offense ranks 27th in scoring with Penix primarily under center.
The second-year quarterback is 3-6 in his starts this season, and while he has protected the football well, completing 60.1% of his passes for nine touchdowns and three interceptions, he hasn’t made enough winning plays, ranking among the bottom nine quarterbacks in big-time throw rate (2.7%) by Pro Football Focus.
However, Atlanta has stood by Penix as they have pivoted completely into developing him as their quarterback of the future.
After a 30-0 blowout loss to the Panthers in Week 3, head coach Raheem Morris made his intentions at the quarterback position clear, saying there would be no consideration to start Cousins over Penix.
“Kirk lost his job last year,” Morris said Wednesday, September 24, per ESPN’s Mark Raimondi. “We’re not even close to that with Mike. He had a bad game.”
Ironically, after an overtime loss to Carolina eight weeks later, Morris is left with no choice.
With Cousins rostered by Atlanta past the NFL trade deadline, the Falcons are on the hook for another $10 million roster bonus for the 2026 league year.
However, there is a possibility that Cousins is released with Atlanta embedding a potential out in his contract. If released, the Falcons would eat $35 million in dead cap but also save $22.5 million.
Within that $35 million in dead cap is the chance the Falcons won’t have to pay Cousins his $10 million roster bonus if a team signs him for more than $10 million for the 2026 season.
“There’s a chance, depending on the looming quarterback carousel, that someone will pay him more than $10 million next year, which would stop the bleeding of Arthur Blank’s money at $90 million,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote.
Who that team might be remains a mystery. Cousins has a potential seven-game tryout to showcase his talents and see if he is worthy of signing for his age-38 season.
The Vikings are likely a team that could be paying a close look at Cousins over the final stretch of the season, with their struggles with McCarthy this season.
Tyler Guyton is a left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. We learned Monday night that he might have a career in acting once his football career is over.
Sometimes, you go to work hard to draw a flag. Guyton understands this, and he did just that in the second quarter of the Week 11 Monday Night Football game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Guyton and Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce were holding on to each other before Guyton pushed Koonce off of him. Koonce responded by taking a swipe at Guyton, who fell to the ground. Let’s just say Guyton didn’t exactly fall to the ground naturally.
Tyler Guyton with a legendary flop!pic.twitter.com/elmqsdNs5i
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 18, 2025
Here’s the thing: it worked. Guyton committed the sell of the year and Koonce got penalized for it, an unnecessary roughness penalty which Dallas declined. Three plays later, the Cowboys stretched their lead to 24-6 courtesy of a 37-yard receiving touchdown by George Pickens. Dallas took a 24-9 lead into the locker room after Las Vegas ended the second quarter with a field goal.
Guyton, the Cowboys’ 2024 first-round selection out of Oklahoma, has started nine games for the Cowboys this season. The 24-year-old has struggled, grading out 64th out of 76 offensive tackles, per
“I am confident he has the skills and the length to overcome, what, to overcome the pre-snap penalties,” Jones said on
“He is unique in his talent, unique in his feet, to have the length that he’s got. I think he is gonna be a top player for us.”