Power ranking every NFL quarterback situation going into training camp
By Nick Villano
22. Atlanta Falcons
Projected Starter: Kirk Cousins
The Atlanta Falcons have invited more drama into their locker room with their decisions than someone on Vanderpump Rules. Their decision to give Kirk Cousins a massive contract just to turn around and draft another quarterback eighth overall is preposterous. They now have Cousins, who again is getting paid and is coming off a torn Achilles, and Michael Penix, who has his own history with injuries.
This is going to be part of the conversation as long as both Cousins and Penix are in the building. It’s interesting that this happened to Cousins at this point in his career. He had always signed fully guaranteed contracts, but only about two years of this current four-year deal is guaranteed. It seems like there’s no chance he’s the starter for the entirety of the deal. Even if the Falcons win the Super Bowl, Penix will be the starter by 2026.
Penix is 23 years old, so he should be at or close to his prime as an athlete. Of course, he needs time to understand the NFL, but the Falcons better hope he can do it from the sidelines.
This is an incredibly talented team. Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Tyler Allgeier, and Rondale Moore give this team a collection of young offensive talent that’s unmatched. It’s untapped, but no team has this level of talent at every skill position. They took Penix to match that talent with a quarterback who could grow with them, but it didn’t have to come with that Cousins contract.