Peyton Manning teases "tough" Kirk Cousins situation in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ docuseries

NFL legend Peyton Manning commended Kirk Cousins for handling a unique situation during his tumultuous first season with the Atlanta Falcons. After spending six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, the veteran quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons, as he was considered the leader of the NFC South franchise.

A year later, Cousins has been relegated in favor of soon-to-be second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Cousins will be featured on Season 2 of Netflix's docu-series "Quarterback" alongside Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow and Detroit Lions' Jared Goff.

During a Monday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Manning, whose Omaha Productions is behind the show, hailed Cousins for a specific situation during the 2024 campaign.

"You’ll see Kirk Cousins handle an incredibly tough situation with incredible grace, and you’ll come out pulling for him…"

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Kirk Cousins has been blunt about his status with the Falcons. After skipping the team's voluntary OTAs, he attended the mandatory minicamp a couple of weeks ago. Talking with reporters, he opened up on his current situation.

“We’re moving forward, and it’s about how we as a team and as a quarterback room can be the best we can be in 2025,” Cousins said. "Obviously, you'd love to play," Cousins said. "But I'm not gonna dwell on things that aren't reality in terms of — that's not the situation I'm in. It's better spent to be focused on the situation that I'm in and controlling what you can control. I think that's the right mindset to have."

Reporter shares details of Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr.'s approach to 2025 season

Atlanta Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi of ESPN explained how Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. are handling their current situation. Penix Jr. took over from Cousins after 14 games last season, with Cousins throwing for 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

"Penix has confidence and poise beyond his level of experience," Raimondi wrote. "It doesn't seem likely the presence of Cousins will shake him. ...Besides his steely mindset, Penix has developed a friendship with Cousins, which included the two commuting together to the team plane last year for a few road games. Penix and Cousins live on the same street in suburban Atlanta."

The Falcons appear to have a good chance to dethrone the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC South champions, this time led by Penix Jr., who left a good impression last year.

Edited by Orlando Silva