The Atlanta Falcons have been quiet to start the 2025 offseason. A big piece of this is due to the limited cap space the team is dealing with thanks to signing Kirk Cousins. Atlanta has remained patient with Kirk's deal hoping there will be a team out there willing to help ease the burden of the contract. While this was the right approach it is one the team never should have had to deal with in the first place.
Everything about adding Kirk Cousins in the 2024 offseason seemed the right decision for the Falcons. Cousins was the top quarterback on the market and exactly the type of player that could help Atlanta take a step forward. Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota, and Taylor Heinicke prevented Atlanta from winning the NFC South in each of the past two seasons. Signing Cousins appeared to fix this problem and was the right decision if not for what followed.
Adding Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. in the same offseason was never going to end well
Drafting Michael Penix Jr. made sure that how the 2024 season ended was inevitable. This isn't to say Cousins was always going to collapse, rather that having two starting quarterbacks was never going to end well. The Falcons opting to bring in Cousins and their first major move being drafting Penix spoke of a lack of conviction. While it ended up working in the team's favor having a backup plan it was still the wrong decision.
Kirk Cousins has the Falcons stuck and unable to take full advantage of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. The team opted not to give either player the best possible chance to win by spending assets that should have supported either starter on the other.
Whether it was by design, or the Falcons simply fell in love with Penix during the draft process is up for debate. What isn't is the fact the Falcons find themselves in a mess of their own creation. Two quarterbacks never ends well and that is the where Atlanta finds themselves.
Cousins contract was designed to keep the veteran as the starting quarterback for at least two seasons. There wasn't an out for Atlanta if the veteran struggled or they believed they had found another answer. Add in the fact the team handed the veteran a no-trade clause and it was as if they believed Cousins, was their only possible future. Drafting Penix was never aligned with the timeline of the contract.
For this reason, the Falcons are stuck unable to easily move off Cousins or to properly set up Penix for the 2025 season. Leaving room to wonder what could have been if the team had committed to Penix from the start.