Benched Kirk Cousins Prays with New Starter QB: ‘Humility’

Published: December 30, 2024

Benched Kirk Cousins Prays with New Starter QB: ‘Humility’

By Movieguide® Contributor

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was recently benched, but instead of getting bitter, he encouraged the new starting quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., by praying with him.

Per Church Leaders, Cousins “encouraged and prayed for fellow Christian and replacement quarterback Penix before the two took to the field.”

“You certainly honor your teammates, you honor your coaches, and you honor your opponent by giving everything you have to the competitive arena,” Cousins explained on a previous episode of the “Sports Spectrum” podcast.

A video shared by Jon Root on X captures Cousins and Penix Jr. praying.

“Benched QB Kirk Cousins led his replacement, Michael Penix Jr. in prayer before taking the field,” Root wrote. “Incredible humility and leadership.”

Penix led the Falcons to a “34-7 victory over New York after trailing early in the second quarter. Penix went 18-for-27 passing for 202 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, which rolled out of the hands of tight end Kyle Pitts,” Sports Illustrated reported.

After the game, Penix Jr. said of his Cousins, “Kirk has been great all week, just always being there for me, anything I needed help with. He’s been great. He’s a great leader, great teammate, and we talk all the time. Coming off on the sidelines, he’s always asked me what I saw, and he continued to encourage me throughout the whole game.”

Fellow teammate, Chris Lindstrom, echoed Penix Jr., saying, “I think it just speaks to the character, both Kirk and Mike, both of them have been amazing. It’s been not a distraction at all, and both of those guys are just two of the best pros about it.”