NW Atlanta News

For the third consecutive season, the Atlanta Falcons experienced a mid-season change at quarterback. The team initially aimed to avoid such a situation in 2024 by signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. Cousins started strong, leading the Falcons to a 6-3 record and topping the NFC South with a 4-0 division record.

However, Cousins' performance declined, resulting in a 1-4 stretch that jeopardized playoff hopes. Head coach Raheem Morris explained his decision to make a quarterback change: "When you make that change, it's hard to say you regret it because you had a lot of confidence in the guy that was out there before, and we just were unable to get it done."

Rookie Michael Penix Jr., drafted eighth overall by the Falcons, took over as quarterback for the final three games. Initially intended to sit behind Cousins for one or two seasons, Penix's timeline was accelerated due to necessity. He closed out the season with one win against the New York Giants and two overtime losses.

Despite these results, Morris expressed optimism about Penix's potential: "The organization has a quarterback that is certainly bright, that is certainly our future."

The upcoming season raises questions about Cousins' future with the team. At 36 years old and under contract with no-trade clause conditions, options include either trading him or retaining him as backup. General manager Terry Fontenot stated clearly that releasing Cousins is not an option: "There's a lot of layers to that, and we'll take those as they come."

If retained as backup despite being highly paid, Cousins could still provide valuable experience in supporting Penix and ensuring depth at quarterback.

Fontenot commented on this arrangement: "Now it's been flipped... So completely different situations I would say but we're comfortable where we are." The team must continue building creatively regardless of what happens with Cousins.