NFC Notes: Michael Penix, Kirk Cousins, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts admitted that he was surprised that the team benched QB Kirk Cousins before the end of the first season and handed the reigns over to first-round QB Michael Penix, Jr.

“I didn’t think it would have happened this early or now,” Pitts said, via the team’s website. “Also, I just work here, so I’m not really tuned into those decisions.”

Falcons OT Jake Matthews has developed a close relationship with Cousins during their first year together. He offered support for Cousins and said the team will rally behind Penix this week.

“We’ve both been around for a while; it’s hard to come up with something to say in a time like this,” Matthews said. “All I can really say is I support the guy. I love the guy, everything he stood for and done for us this year. We just got to find a way to win. It’s the nature of being a professional. We’re going to have Penix in there this week, and we got to get it done.”

• Penix on getting the win over the Giants in his first career start: “I’ve been preparing each and every day for this. It was such a blessing. A great game. A great team game.” (Tori McElhaney)
• Falcons HC Raheem Morris said the team rallied around Penix, who played “near flawless football” before adding he “couldn’t be more pleased with how the team responded.” (McElhaney)
• Morris called discussions about Cousins’ future in 2025 premature: “It would be hard for me to tell you I don’t want to see Kirk Cousins. Those things will come when we get to those moments. You never know what’s going to happen.” (Josh Kendall)

Panthers

• Although the Panthers appear set to gain a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Joseph Person of The Athletic doesn’t think Carolina should trade the pick or take a quarterback with their selection. In the end, Person could see HC Dave Canales continue developing Bryce Young and pairing him with a veteran quarterback like Andy Dalton, Daniel Jones, or Geno Smith.
• As for DC Ejiro Evero’s job security, Person writes the two sides could agree to mutually part ways if there’s a position elsewhere Evero wants to pursue. If Evero does return, Person expects Carolina to make changes to their defensive assistant coaches. 
• Regarding whether Carolina would take a position of need like edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft or opt for the best player available, Person writes the Panthers should jump for Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter if he’s available. 
• Person doesn’t feel it’s a given that the Panthers pick up OT Ikem Ekwonu‘s fifth-year option given he’s committed a team-leading 12 penalties and still struggles against speed rushers. 
• Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer also notes that while Evero is well-respected inside the Panthers building, it is fair to question his future with the team after this season given how bad the defense has looked, both statistically and by the eye test. Kaye thinks there are reasons both sides would prefer a mutual break. 
• Kaye mentions it would make a lot of sense for the Panthers to look to extend RT Taylor Moton this offseason. While he’s turning 31 in 2025, he’s had an excellent season and next year is the final year of his contract. An extension would also likely lower his team-high $31.3 million cap hit, per Kaye. 

Saints

There was a moment in Week 16’s game where 15 seconds ran off of the clock when Saints WR Kevin Austin fumbled the ball out of bounds. Interim HC Darren Rizzi they were unaware of the clock running after getting bad information from the officiating crew. 

“Both covering officials ruled the clock stopped,” Rizzi said, via ProFootballTalk. “I asked the official, the covering official, if the clock was going to remain stopped. I got a yes, and I turned back to talk to the offensive coaches and talk about our plan there and what we were going to do there at the end of the half, and then they decided that he fumbled the ball forward and it just wasn’t communicated to me that the clock had re-started so we lost some precious valuable time there. So that’s what happened.”