The Atlanta Falcons officially introduced Kevin Stefanski as their newest head coach, and it obviously didn't take long for the media to address the elephant in the room.
The quarterback position is the most important in football, and Stefanski signed up for a pretty dramatic situation compared to others around the NFL. Michael Penix Jr., the presumptive quarterback of the future, is recovering from his latest major knee injury. Veteran Kirk Cousins seemed to keep the ship afloat late in the season, but at this stage of his career, isn't someone you're likely to build around.
And Stefanski wasn't going to beat around the bush when it came to either of those guys. He offered a refreshing but brutally honest response.
Kevin Stefanski makes his stance on Falcons QB situation crystal clear
“I will tell you, obviously, Michael is someone I’m very excited about … when it comes to Kirk, obviously I have a previous relationship with Kirk. I don’t know if it’s the time (to talk about these things).”
- Kevin Stefanski (via Falcons official press conference)
That response says it all.
It's like when someone asks, "Can we talk about this in private?" and you know exactly what's about to come.
Stefanski didn't take the job with the Falcons with the idea that he would have to hitch his wagon -- long-term, anyway -- to either of these guys. At least, you would have to think that's the case. Anytime there are sweeping changes made in an NFL organization, it typically means a long-term change at the quarterback position is somewhere on the horizon.
And because of the fact that Michael Penix Jr. has not proven himself up to this point, he might get another audition year with the Falcons not having a 1st-round pick in 2026, but that might be it.
As far as Cousins is concerned? It was almost a miracle he was still around in Atlanta last year in the first place. Trading him after the Michael Penix Jr. selection. felt like a foregone conclusion, but that contract isn't an easy one to move. Ironically, with Matt Ryan moving from the TV booth into a major role helping build this Falcons team back up, Cousins was doing work with CBS before the AFC Championship Game.
And we'll see where all of that leads. But the last thing Stefanski is going to want in his first year at the helm of this team is a quarterback controversy. It seems like he understands that better than anyone.