The Atlanta Falcons will have a new quarterback.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has announced that rookie Michael Penix Jr. will start in the next game against the New York Giants, replacing Kirk Cousins.

“We’ve decided that Michael Penix will be the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons moving forward,” Morris stated. “This is purely a football decision, and we are fully committed to getting the team ready for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants.”

This decision follows a noticeable drop in Cousins’ performance in recent weeks, particularly due to his turnovers. The Falcons started the season strong with a 6-3 record and held a lead in the NFC South, but have since lost four consecutive games, resulting in a loss of control over the division. During these defeats, Cousins has thrown eight interceptions without a touchdown.

Cousins had an opportunity to change the situation on Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, but his struggles persisted. He managed to throw one touchdown pass but only accumulated 112 passing yards—just 28 of those in the second half—along with an interception in a game that featured a struggling offense.

After the 15-9 victory, Morris commented that Cousins “needs to perform better.” When he spoke with the media on Tuesday, he was uncertain about Cousins maintaining the starting position before officially announcing the change later that night.

“We just returned from Las Vegas,” he mentioned, according to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “We need to go through our process. All of these decisions will unfold throughout the week. Our quarterback play was not good enough.”

The outlook for Cousins, who was signed this offseason to a four-year, $180 million deal, including a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed, is now uncertain. If the Falcons decide to release him, they would incur a dead cap penalty of $65 million, according to Over The Cap. Additionally, if he remains on the roster past March 16, he’ll earn a $10 million roster bonus for 2026. A trade would hinge on another team agreeing to take on his contract or Atlanta agreeing to cover part of it.

Now, the quarterback chosen 8th overall in this year’s draft will have the chance to prove himself as Atlanta continues to aspire for the division title. The former Washington Huskies standout, who led the NCAA in passing yards in 2023, has only appeared in two games this season, coming off the bench during lopsided losses. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 38 yards.