The Atlanta Falcons screwed this up royally. A year ago the organization decided to go all-in with Kirk Cousins, operating under the misguided belief that the team was simply a quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl. Now they boast the league’s most-expensive backup, and it’s unclear if they really have a plan for the future.
If the Falcons decide it’s best to move on from the QB then the best they can hope for is a team (more specifically the Cleveland Browns), coming in and taking Cousins off their hands for a late-round pick swap. This would take money off their books, while also removing Cousins’ shadow from behind Michael Penix Jr.
The problem with a trade is that because the Falcons did Cousins dirty in the NFL Draft right after signing him, now he’s throwing his weight around with his no-trade clause, refusing to accept any deal until after the draft. This is because the former Pro Bowl QB wants to know that history won’t repeat itself, and that he won’t be dealt to a team only to see them draft a QB who will replace him.
This assumes the Falcons actually want to trade Cousins, and it’s here this all gets messy. Publicly the organization has been quiet on whether or not it actually intends to hear offers for Cousins, or whether they plan to pay a backup $27.5M this season.
Ultimately this all comes down to one core problem: The Falcons were bullish enough on Michael Penix Jr. to select him with a top-10 pick a year ago, upsetting Cousins in the process — but after seeing him play they’re concerned he’s not the answer and want to have a contingency plan.
It’s very difficult to know what Penix Jr. is as an NFL quarterback at this point. Statistically he was mediocre, but he did look better on tape than the numbers suggest. Two of his three interceptions came off bobbled passes, and at the very least he showed off a big arm and confidence to try and make impactful throws. The flipside to this is that he should have looked fantastic considering the opposition he faced in those three games. Two of this three opponents were the Giants and Panthers, who ranked 24th and 32nd in defense respectively — and while there were flashes, Penix also completed less than 60 percent of his passes, his only win coming against New York.
While the Falcons might try to spin this as wanting to have “options” or “a veteran QB who can mentor Penix,” the core issue is that Atlanta is sending mixed messages at every turn. They believe in Penix, but not enough to trade Cousins. Just as they believed Cousins would get them over the hump, but not enough to draft much-needed defense or offensive line help in 2024, instead taking a QB.
This is an organization that doesn’t have an identity under Raheem Morris. The coach stepped in a year ago, was saddled with the mandate that the team wanted to win with Cousins, and has appeared to be rudderless. We don’t know whether or not the Falcons want to focus on running the ball with Bijan Robinson as its centerpiece, or if they want to go all-in on Penix and the passing game.
This is a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed. Atlanta cannot move forward without having a clear plan, and they can’t have a clear plan with an ongoing quarterback controversy. It’s time Atlanta to just publicly announce they are trying to find a trade partner for Kirk Cousins, take their lumps with Penix, and have a vision for their football team. As it stands they’re fence-sitting, and that’s only going to drag out the process.
