By now, we all know that Kirk Cousins won't be back with the Atlanta Falcons in 2026, which means the Falcons will have to add a new backup QB for Michael Penix Jr. It seems like he'll be back in time to start next season, but they always need to have insurance on hand given his lengthy injury history.
The Falcons could just trade for or draft a backup, but the new regime has other plans. Kevin Stefanski, Matt Ryan, and Ian Cunningham are now calling the shots, and they all have ties to one free-agent quarterback, and it seems like a guarantee that said QB will end up in Atlanta in 2026.
The Dirty Birds have too many connections to Joe Flacco for fans to ignore at this point. Stefanski coached him multiple times, he worked with Cunningham on multiple occasions, and Ryan and Flacco were both first-round draft picks in 2008, so the 41-year-old has to be their Cousins succession plan.
Joe Flacco is destined to be the Falcons' backup QB in 2026 after hiring Ian Cunningham
Cunningham was a Super Bowl-winning executive with the Ravens in 2012, and the quarterback at that time was Flacco himself. The pair also reunited for a season in Philadelphia in 2021, and they have a chance to reunite again for a Falcons team that desperately needs an experienced backup.
This means that their paths could cross for a third time with another bird team. Suffice it to say that Cunningham and Flacco both like to fly. All jokes aside, that's a smoking gun that basically confirms this looming marriage, even though nothing can be made official until the new league year starts.
Stefanski won Coach of the Year for leading a Flacco-led Browns team to the playoffs in 2023 and is a perfect fit for his system. The scheme fit won't come with a learning curve, and the former Super Bowl MVP and would be the perfect mentor for a young signal-caller whose future is on the line in 2026.
The veteran QB is battle-tested and was a solid starter in both Cleveland and Cincinnati this season, so he should be a welcomed addition to any QB room. Given his age, he would also be relatively cheap to acquire, which is the preferred outcome for a team that has limited cap space.
Penix is the present and future of this franchise and Stefanski and Cunnngham are well aware of that, so signing Flacco would be a testament to their commitment in the 25-year-old to turn things around, even if this move indicates they are still cautious about his health.