It's been a busy couple of months for the Atlanta Falcons' front office. They signed Drake London and Kyle Pitts to contract extensions last month, Matthew Bergeron to a new deal last week, and Bijan Robinson to a three-year, $66.75 million extension yesterday to keep the offensive nucleus intact.
It's a statement from the new regime. Bijan's $22.25 million in AAV made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, while Bergeron tied Tyler Smith as the NFL's highest-paid offensive guard. Meanwhile, London and Pitts became the third-highest paid players at their respective positions.
It's clear to see what the Falcons are trying to do under new GM Ian Cunningham. London, Bijan, and rookie WR Zachariah Branch are under contract through 2030, as are Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom. And Pitts is under contract through 2028, so there will be a lot of continuity on offense in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Falcons are in a better spot to find their franchise QB after paying all of their weapons
Back during his introductory press conference, Cunningham revealed that the Falcons' plan was to draft, develop, and retain their high-end talent. And in the months since, they've done precisely that, which will set their franchise quarterback (whoever that may be) up in the perfect starting situation.
Right now, the goal is to determine whether or not Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa can turn things around and cement themselves as worthy of being the long-term franchise QB. But if that doesn't go according to plan, Atlanta will be in the market to draft a signal-caller early on in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Luckily for the Dirty Birds, the 2027 Draft boasts one of the most loaded quarterback classes in recent memory, so even though they don't currently have a long-term answer under center, Cunningham is quietly putting them in the perfect situation to find them within their timeline.
While the Falcons are investing all of this money on their offense for one of the NFL's best skill groups, they'll have a supporting cast full of high-paid established products while any QB they draft will be on a rookie deal--and by the time they have to pay said quarterback, their contracts will be almost up.
Most quarterbacks fail due to a bad situation or a lack of weapons, and the Falcons want to remedy that. So whether Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa, or a QB drafted in 2027 is the long-term answer, paying Bijan Robinson and these weapons not only ensures the offensive foundation will stay in place, but it'll help set a young quarterback up for immediate success.
Add us as a preferred source on Google