Kirk Cousins Falcons failure could cost more than just high-priced QB his job

When the Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal last offseason, expectations for the team shot up. They already had high-end skill position talent with guys like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, and just added a quarterback who, prior to his Achilles injury, was playing at an elite level.

Unfortunately, the Cousins experiment couldn't have gone much worse. The 36-year-old had nearly as many interceptions (16) as touchdown passes (18) in 14 games, and the Falcons were just 7-7 with him under center before the team elected to turn to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Turning to Penix made a lot of sense considering how bad Cousins looked under center, but doing so means that they have an extremely expensive quarterback on their bench. As if that isn't bad enough, barring some luck in Week 18, they'll miss the playoffs for the seventh straight year.

The Falcons, clearly, are a mess. Cousins is probably going to be traded or released this coming offseason, and more bad news could be coming. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (subscription required), GM Terry Fontenot might lose his job as well.

"I know some people in the league are at least wondering about the future of Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot in light of the $90 million Kirk Cousins experiment that lasted 14 games and the lack of a banner season since taking over in 2021. Atlanta hasn't been in the playoffs since 2017 and faces a tall order getting there this season after Sunday night's loss to the Commanders," Fowler wrote.

Kirk Cousins might not be the only big-name member of the Falcons to lose his job

Fontenot's 2023 offseason was abysmal, to say the least. The Falcons opted to sign Cousins, a 36-year-old coming off a major Achilles injury, to a massive deal. As if that wasn't bad enough, they then proceeded to draft Michael Penix Jr., another quarterback, with the No. 8 overall pick.

Had the Falcons drafted a player who could help the team win in 2024, that would've been ideal. Had the Falcons traded the pick for an established veteran, that would've made sense. Even if they had taken a quarterback later in the draft as a potential Cousins replacement down the line, that would've been fine. Taking Penix in the first round immediately after signing Cousins never made sense, and could be the main reason Fontenot loses his job.

To make matters worse, it's not as if guys like Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons have been difference-makers on the defensive side of the ball. Those players were both brought in on one-year deals this past offseason.

The 2023 offseason was a rough one, but it isn't the only reason he might get fired. Since taking over ahead of the 2021 season, the Falcons have gone 29-38. They had three straight 7-10 seasons and are just 8-8 this season. How many general managers survive what could be four straight losing seasons and four straight seasons without a playoff appearance?

Fontenot hasn't been all bad, but he failed miserably this past offseason, and doesn't have the track record to overcome that. At this point, there's little reason for the Falcons to not look to make a change, especially if they wind up missing the playoffs and finishing under .500.