"The best man plays": Rob Gronkowski makes feelings clear on Michael Penix Jr. replacing Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins' journey with the Atlanta Falcons had started off on a great note with the team winning four of their initial six games. Then the train began to derail and with just three games to go, the Falcons are at 7-7, having lost four of their last five games. And now head coach Raheem Morris has run out of patience with the veteran QB.
On Tuesday, he announced his "football decision" to bench Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. Most Falcons fans welcomed the move. On Wednesday's episode of the "Kay Adams Show", former New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski sided with HC Morris and said that the decision to bench Cousins was great.
"I think it's a good decision because Kirk Cousins hasn't been playing up to the standards that they need him to play. This is the NFL, the best man plays," Gronk told Adams.
He also acknowledged that if a player got paid more, he would get more chances. After all, the Falcons wouldn't want to look bad by admitting that they're having to bench the veteran QB that they shelled out $180 million for. But in the end, if a lower-paid QB afforded more chances to win, he would be made the starter.
"If you're getting paid more, you're gonna get a lot more chances. But eventually, if the guy behind you can give you a better opportunity to win the game, then they're going to start the guy that's the second string and put in the first string eventually."
Emmanuel Acho sounds off alarm bells on Kirk Cousins
It was not just Rob Gronkowski who was happy with the Falcons' decision to bench Cousins. NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho said that the Falcons had drafted Penix as a backup in case their $180 million QB got hurt. Acho justified the benching by saying that Cousins was playing as if he was hurt and the team was right in benching him.
"Well, Kirk Cousins is playing like he's hurt. Eight interceptions, no touchdowns in the previous four games prior to last week, and then one interception, and one touchdown in last week's game. You drafted him in the event Kirk got hurt, he's playing like he's hurt. Treat him like he's hurt, bench him like he's hurt."
Can Penix salvage the season for the Falcons, or will the damage done by Cousins be beyond redemption?