“Just a very somber night” - Kirk Cousins’ wife Julie chokes up recalling QB’s call to Michael Penix Jr. after losing Falcons starting job

Kirk Cousins' wife, Julie, became emotional when discussing the moment the veteran quarterback was benched by Atlanta Falcons' coach Raheem Morris late in the 2024 NFL season.

Despite a promising start to the season (6-3), which included a win over the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, and two over the NFC South champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cousins couldn't keep up the pace and was ultimately replaced by rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

A clip shared by NFL insider Jordan Schultz shows how Julie Cousins dealt with the news, while lauding her husband for hyping up his replacement and announcing that the job was his over a phone call during an episode of Netflix's "QUARTERBACK" docu-series.

"Just a very somber night and he came back and sat in the garage," Cousins said. "When I went out there, he was actually calling Michael, which I thought was really cool. It's like, 'Who does that?'

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"You just drove off from one of the hardest conversations you've ever had and you're gonna call Michael to say, 'The job is yours...' That is the kind of man he is."

Kirk Cousins carried high expectations coming into the Falcons organization. He went from a 69.5% completion on the Vikings to 66.9% with the Falcons. Cousins recorded 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games in 2023, while posting 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 14 duels last year.

Kirk Cousins played through injury to keep his starting role safe

Kirk Cousins claimed he felt "misled" when the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft. Cousins knew his job would be in jeopardy if he missed a couple of weeks.

The former Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings quarterback admitted to playing through elbow and shoulder issues during the show, mentioning that he couldn't afford to miss enough time to lose his job.

“If you sit down Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back," Cousins said. "That was something I was always aware of, that in this league, if you give someone else the chance, if you want to be Wally Pipp and there’s Lou Gehrig behind you, that can happen.”

The Atlanta Falcons finished the season with an 8-9 record, sitting second in their division and watching the Buccaneers win it again. The new campaign starts on Sept.7, with Penix and Co. taking on Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay at 1 p.m. ET.

Edited by Alvin Amansec