4 Atlanta Falcons who deserve the most blame for frustrating loss to Chargers

2. Terry Fontenot

The GM who drafted Michael Penix Jr. in what is an otherwise awful class blocked the quarterback from starting. Fontenot gave Kirk Cousins a contract that made it close to impossible to get the rookie quarterback into the lineup. So the value is already in question when you spend a top-ten pick on a player who is blocked from having a chance in the lineup.

Add in the fact you have been unable to fix the team's pass rush in four years and the issues continue to mount. Fontenot and the Atlanta front office opted to add two quarterbacks and not a single pass rusher. How much different would Atlanta's season be if they had drafted Jared Verse and were stuck with Cousins?

You also have to mention the poor drafting since Fontenot has taken over. Bijan Robinson and Drake London are the outliers since Fontenot has been in the front office. Mid-round picks have little to no impact and late-round picks are typically cut and moved on from very quickly. The Falcons simply aren't getting what they need from the draft and failing to fix obvious problems. If Atlanta misses the playoffs there isn't a question that Fontenot must pay.