3 Atlanta Falcons fans have under immense pressure as season begins

1. Kirk Cousins

The Atlanta Falcons are going to start Kirk Cousins each of the next two seasons barring injury or the veteran's level of play falling off a cliff. The contract Atlanta gave Cousins makes it impossible to walk away without cap damage that would prevent them from building a complete team.

If Cousins is anything close to capable Atlanta will continue to start the veteran each of the next two seasons. However, this isn't going to stop the media or fans from loudly asking for Penix anytime things don't fall the veteran's way.

Cousins is coming to a cursed franchise that now has lofty expectations of being a division winner and a playoff contender. These are both on the table but not the locks many Atlanta fans might think. The team's depth is a concern and Atlanta hasn't shown they can consistently win since Matt Ryan was defending MVP seven years ago.

That is how long it has been since the Falcons had this level of expectations. Cousins is going to be under pressure from the fans and media while being in the building watching and helping Penix close the gap. How the veteran handles the situation over the next two years will be telling.