He just couldn’t play it physically any more in the eyes of the Falcons. That bled into some issues in the way he played the position mentally as well.“It led into a position where they believed he was unplayable.

The Atlanta Falcons shelved quarterback Kirk Cousins ahead of their Week 15 matchup with the New York Giants, the first time in years Cousins was a QB2 while healthy. And things only got worse from there.

Kirk Cousins is done as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback, benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. ahead of the team's Week 16 matchup with the New York Giants. That doesn't mean Cousins is done as a starter in the NFL,