3 reasons the Falcons must sign Russell Wilson

1. Falcons can win now with a veteran

In recent seasons, the NFC South has been a wide-open division that has completely lacked any semblance of an elite team. Last year, Tampa Bay won the division with a record of just 9-8, and in the prior season, they did the same with a losing record of 8-9. There have been few signs during this offseason that the Buccaneers, Saints, or Panthers are going to rise above the mediocrity they've been mired in.

The Falcons have had arguably the best roster in the wide-open division, especially in 2023, and with a veteran quarterback, they very likely would have been a playoff team.

Ridder threw just 12 touchdowns in 2023 while tossing 12 interceptions and fumbling the ball another 12 times. He added very little production to the Atlanta offense, and his consistent turnovers killed his team in a year in which they lost 6 games by one score.

Atlanta finished 7-10 in 2023, just 2 games behind the division champion Buccaneers. With just 3 fewer of those dumb, back-breaking mistakes that inexperienced quarterbacks make, the Falcons could have cut their number of one-score losses and won the division outright. The margins were that small. With an experienced veteran, instead of a project, the Falcons could have played January football last season.

The opportunity that such a poor division presents can't be squandered while the Falcons sit around and try to develop another college prospect who may or may not become a quality pro. Williams, Daniels, and Nix may become great NFL quarterbacks, but they won't win immediately. Whoever drafts them will have to deal with those same inexplicable mistakes in 2024.

So, among the group of potential veteran signings, why Wilson and not Cousins? There are a couple of key factors that make the choice clear.