With free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins continuing to battle turnover issues in his first season in Atlanta, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will take over as the starter under center for the remainder of the season.
Given Cousin's recent woes on the field, such a move doesn't come as a surprise. The 36-year-old veteran leads the league in interceptions (16) and ties for the league lead in fumbles (12).
Although Atlanta has a 7-7 record and is just one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South, the offensive concerns became too much to overlook. Over the past five contests, the Falcons have averaged less than 15 points per game, with Cousins throwing only one touchdown during that stretch.
From a performance standpoint, the decision to hand over the reins to the player who was drafted eighth overall in the most recent draft makes a lot of sense. Cousins has been struggling significantly, and there is no denying that Penix possesses tremendous talent and potential.
However, this situation also brings much-renewed criticism to the Falcons organization for its recent handling of the quarterback position.
Many fans were surprised when the Falcons elected to sign Cousins to a four-year contract worth $180 million during the offseason. After all, Cousins was entering the twilight of his career and was coming off of a serious injury that ended his 2023 campaign.
Then, while many fans were still questioning the decision to sign Cousins to such a lucrative deal given the many unknowns about his future prospects, the organization decided to select Penix with their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Many maligned the move because the Falcons had just signed Cousins to a massive contract, and several draft analysts projected Penix as a second-round pick.
The recent developments in Atlanta will only fuel negative criticism of the organization. The past 12 months have tarnished the team's reputation so greatly that it may harm its efforts to convince other players to join the franchise.
Organizations often garner a bad reputation in sports because of poor decisions consistently made. When that occurs, it makes it much more difficult to recruit players, as they have serious reasons to doubt the direction the franchise is heading.
As followers of Jesus, our reputation as individuals is of far greater concern than the reputation of a professional sports franchise.
The Bible is clear that all people are saved by God's grace alone and not through any merits of our own, and true believers never become perfect on this side of eternity. As such, there is a real sense in which we would never want someone else's decision to follow Jesus to hinge solely upon our obedience and faithfulness to Christ.
However, we must also realize the importance of having a good reputation to point others to Christ. This will encourage them to "join the franchise."
In listing his qualifications for elders (pastors), the Apostle Paul noted that an elder must have a good reputation with unbelievers. 1 Timothy 3:7 (NASB) says, "And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil."
We must recognize a connection between our effectiveness as gospel witnesses and our reputation with unbelievers. Again, we will never be perfect on this side of eternity, but when we live a life characterized by good deeds and integrity, we bear a positive witness to the gospel.
1 Peter 2:12 (ESV) says, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
Even when people are hostile toward believers, persistence in living a life marked by character can positively impact them.
Since the Bible states that true believers in Christ have become new creations and are no longer enslaved to sin, our lives should always live up to that reality. We won't be perfect, but the power of God enables us to live a transformed life in Him.
Today, let's be keenly aware of our reputation with outsiders, knowing that our behavior can affect our effectiveness as heralds of the gospel.
As Ecclesiastes 7:1a (NLT) states, "A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume."
I'm Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me Your Holy Spirit to enable me to live a life of obedience. Please help me have a positive reputation with unbelievers so that I might be more effective in witnessing for You. I pray that many will come to know You through my interactions with others. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
Comments