The Atlanta Falcons are facing another offseason where the quarterback position is a main topic. General manager Ian Cunningham announced at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine that veteran Kirk Cousins will be released at the start of the new league year, leaving Michael Penix Jr. as the only quarterback on the roster. Penix, who started his second season as Atlanta’s starting quarterback, suffered an ACL injury in Week 11 and his availability for the start of 2026 remains uncertain.
At the combine, Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski did not make definitive statements about their plans for quarterback, but stressed that Penix’s recovery is their priority. “He’s where he should be,” Cunningham said. “I feel like he’s doing a really good job, he’s coming in every single day, he’s doing what he needs to do, and we’re confident that he’s on track.”
Stefanski has a history of working with quarterbacks during his coaching career with both the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. In 2017, he helped Case Keenum lead Minnesota to the playoffs as quarterbacks coach. The following year, he worked with Cousins, who threw 30 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions in 2018.
When Stefanski became head coach of the Browns in 2020, he guided Baker Mayfield to his first winning season and Cleveland’s first playoff appearance since 2002. In 2023, despite using five different starting quarterbacks due to injuries, Stefanski led Cleveland to an 11-6 record and another postseason berth.
“Kevin Stefanski’s offenses have been what they have been: Creating those passing opportunities but using that wide-zone-run-game aspect of it,” said Kelsey Russo, associate editor and staff writer for the Cleveland Browns. “However, there was also an adaptability piece to it for whichever quarterback is out there. You have to use their skill sets and maximize their skill sets.”
Penix was praised during the pre-draft process for his arm talent and poise in the pocket. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared Penix’s throwing ability to Joe Flacco—a player Stefanski coached successfully in Cleveland when Flacco joined midseason in 2023 and won Comeback Player of the Year.
Asked about developing young quarterbacks at the combine podium, Stefanski emphasized creating supportive structures around them: “As coaches and clubs, we want to do all that we can to insulate those players and put them in a system, put players around them to allow for development of young players,” he said. “I think there’s countless examples of players that maybe their development takes time.
“It could take seasons, and I think there’s great examples of MVPs in this league where it didn’t click right away for them. And just understanding that as part of the process. But I do think it takes a lot of people to set the course for those young players at that position because it’s a hard position to play.”
Stefanski reiterated this approach when speaking with local media at the combine: “It was very individualized because players are individual people,” Russo said about her experience covering Stefanski in Cleveland. “They have different parts of their skill sets that are stronger, weaker… So that dedication… being able to look at what’s really strong in their game and being able to maximize that was something I think he was really good at and instilled in his staff as well.”
For Atlanta’s quarterback room moving forward—where offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and position coach Alex Van Pelt will work closely with quarterbacks—Stefanski wants everyone delivering one consistent message: “When you’re in that quarterback room, you want to make sure that the voice is singular,” Stefanski said. “Even though it may be multiple people, the voice and what you’re telling the player is singular… That’s part of the benefit of having Tommy Reese [and] Alex Van Pelk; these are guys that I’ve coached with… We’re all speaking the same language.”
The Atlanta Falcons compete in the NFL’s NFC South division after joining as an expansion team in 1965. The franchise has reached the Super Bowl twice, appearing most recently in 1998 and 2016. The team is based in Atlanta, Georgia, where Freddie the Falcon serves as mascot.
