On March 13, the Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins ​​in their most significant signing of the NFL season.

Just 43 days later, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent draft history by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick. Penix, 24, is one of the oldest quarterbacks taken in the first round, seemingly making it imperative that he get on the field as soon as possible.

On Monday night, Cousins ​​showed why Penix might take it easy on the bench for a while before he really gets going.

Facing the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night footballCousins ​​and the Falcons trailed 21-15 with 1:39 to go, no timeouts and 70 yards remaining. After throwing for just 171 yards on the game-winning drive, Cousins ​​accounted for every yard, capped by a seven-yard scoring strike to Drake London for a 22-21 victory. Cousins ​​is now 13-20 in prime-time games.

Before the decisive march, Atlanta had just one explosive passing play (20-plus yards) on the night and just two for the season. Cousins ​​created two straight on the drive, finding free-agent pickup Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards to put Atlanta in the red zone.

With the score now tied in thrilling fashion at 1-1, both the Falcons and Cousins ​​appear to have chosen a new path, one that seemed impossible before Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that would have decided the game just minutes earlier.

At 36, Cousins ​​is coming off a torn Achilles tendon he suffered last October in Green Bay. The doubts about his future were and remain real. In Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and for much of Monday, his pass velocity was off as he struggled to push off with his back leg, which trailed instead of anchored.

Against Pittsburgh, Atlanta managed just one touchdown and 226 total yards, while never utilizing play-action passes. Cousins ​​threw two interceptions and posted a .317 EPA27th in Week 1 starters stats. The quarterbacks he beat out? Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, Will Levis, Deshaun Watson and Daniel Jones.

Yet the reality and feel of the young season changed in the second half on Monday. In the final 30 minutes in Philadelphia, Atlanta had four possessions (excluding the final knee drop) and scored three times, including two touchdowns.

For Cousins, it’s a starting point to prove he’s an answer in Atlanta. But in today’s world, that’s a question that will be asked weekly until it’s proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

But in six days, he’ll be back in primetime against the Kansas City Chiefs and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who lives to warm up quarterbacks with exotic blitzes. In the NFL, all glory is short-lived and never followed up. If Cousins ​​struggles, the noise that preceded an unlikely comeback in Philadelphia will resurface.

To that point, there are still legitimate concerns. In addition to the aforementioned reluctance to get off his back foot at times, Cousins ​​is an aging quarterback who has already lost his ability to threaten outside the pocket, having rushed for 122 yards on 45 attempts over the past two seasons. If he is hindered in any way from producing off straight drop-backs, Cousins’ value plummets with little else to rely on.

While Penix had his own injury issues in college, including a broken collarbone and two torn right ACLs, he brings athleticism and youth to the table. While Penix doesn’t run, having only 265 rushing yards in six seasons in college, he has improved movement skills and a rocket in his left arm. At Washington, Penix averaged 8.6 yards per attempt over his last two seasons, leading all of FBS in passing yardage both campaigns.

While Penix will sit until coach Raheem Morris believes he’s Atlanta’s best chance to win, it’s hard to think that moment is far off if Cousins ​​isn’t great. Maybe sometime this year, maybe 2025, but with Penix already advanced for a rookie and Cousins ​​struggling to generate significant yardage, the conversation will continue to swirl.

For now, though, Cousins ​​​​has held off serious talk about his job security. The Falcons gave him the biggest contract in franchise history just six months ago. Owner Arthur Blank wouldn’t be happy with a quick hook, especially if Cousins ​​​​is going to have to be given the grace to work his way back from one of the most challenging injuries an athlete can sustain.

Now with a stunning victory under his belt, Cousins ​​can breathe a sigh of relief, while Blank and Fontenot don’t have to worry about whether the deal they made with their new quarterback was an extremely costly mistake.

If Cousins ​​hadn’t been directing the offense instead of caring for it, the groans in Atlanta — and the cries for Penix — would only have gotten louder and harder to ignore.

But after a primetime game in which he delivered the decisive moment, Cousins ​​can savor his victory knowing his seat isn’t quite full yet.