Both the Falcons and Commanders have paid Kirk Cousins tens of millions of dollars in his career, but he’ll be on the bench for this matchup.
It has been more than a decade since the franchise currently known as the Washington Commanders drafted Kirk Cousins, and in the years since he has wrenched three different franchises for money.
First it was consecutive franchise tags from Washington, followed by a fully guaranteed contract contract in free agency from the Minnesota Vikings and then a pair of subsequent extensions, and finally a huge contract in free agency from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. And, in spite of all of that, he has a 1-3 record in the postseason for his career, and will be a high-priced backup to rookie first round pick Michael Penix for the Sunday Night Football matchup between these two teams in Week 17.
With all that said, the Commanders come into the game as 3.5 point favorites over the Falcons, with the over/under sitting at 46.5. Both teams will have a rookie signal caller under center, however, Jayden Daniels has the advantage of fifteen career starts, versus just one start under center for Penix, giving Washington an advantage that should allow the Commanders to win and cover, even though the two teams are not likely to score a whole lot, meaning the under cashes.
Fans can tune in at 8:20 ET/5:20 PT on NBC or stream the game on Peacock.