Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Michael Penix Jr.

Thursday, April 24, 6:07 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could watch the first round of this year's NFL draft on Thursday night to see what the QB landscape looks like before waiving his no-trade clause on Friday to allow for a possible trade. However, Underdog's James Palmer writes that it seems more and more likely that Cousins could be waiting to see how the second round plays out on Friday night before making any decisions. The 36-year-old veteran signal-caller has made it clear that he wants to be a starter elsewhere over serving as Michael Penix Jr.'s backup in 2025. After Penix took over for the struggling Cousins late last year, the veteran QB prefers to be traded to a team that doesn't have a young up-and-coming signal-caller on the roster already. The Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings have been mentioned as the three most likely candidates to consider trading for Cousins during the draft.

Sunday, January 5, 5:07 PM

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went 21-for-38 with 312 yards, two passing scores and an interception during their overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. Penix added five yards and score on his lone carry. After averaging just 212.5 passing yards during the first two games of his career, Penix enjoyed a strong finish to the 2024 campaign, despite falling just short to the Panthers. The Washington product leaned on his top wideout Drake London as he threw to him 18 times. London also brought in both his touchdown passes and finished the day with 187 receiving yards. The 24-year-old has tallied four total touchdowns over his first three NFL games but sits with a 1-2 record, with both of his losses coming in overtime. Fantasy managers should expect Penix to be in the driver's seat to open as the team's starting QB in 2025.