The Falcons continue to use Kirk Cousins after he threw four interceptions during the team's three-game losing streak.
Atlanta fell to 6-6 with a 17-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday due to Cousins' high turnovers, but head coach Raheem Morris told reporters Monday there are no plans to replace the quarterback. he said.
“I don't think that's going to be an issue around here,” Morris said when asked about the possibility of Cousins being benched. “That guy carried us. Because of him, we were 6-6 and at the top of our division. Despite what happened today, we had a lot of things in front of us. We still have everything we have. It's up to us to bounce back and find a way to win football games, and there's no one over 18 to do that for us.”
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year contract worth $180 million and selected another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Morris didn't blame Cousins for his performance against the Chargers, but he continued to protect the starting quarterback's body of work throughout the season.
“I will not make any excuses to them for what happened today,” Morris said. “That guy carried us all season and did a really great job. It's hard to throw that guy under the bus.”
The Chargers' loss came on the heels of the Falcons' 38-6 loss to the Broncos last week and 20-17 loss to the Saints the week before that.
Sitting on the bench this week would have been even more painful since Cousins has a revenge game this Sunday against the Vikings, where he spent the past six seasons.
The Falcons are currently tied with the Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South.
