Michael Penix Jr.’s performance over his first three games as a starter has finally brought some positivity to an organization that has missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons. He’s the type of talent that can turn the Falcons around in an instant, much like we saw Jayden Daniels do with the Washington Commanders this season.
With Penix, there will always be hope in Atlanta. A good quarterback is able to cover up a lot of deficiencies and maximize the talent around him. However, in order to be the best of the best and win a Super Bowl, resources cannot be wasted, and that’s exactly what the Falcons did this past offseason when they handed Kirk Cousins a $180 million contract with $90 million in guarantees.
In hindsight, it was one of the worst decisions in franchise history. Not only did Cousins limit the team’s ceiling through the first 14 games of the season, but he also severely hamstrings the Falcons in 2025 as well. With him still on the books, Atlanta is projected to be $7 million over the cap heading into the offseason, which ranks 27th in the league.
It’s pretty amazing. Just a year ago, Terry Fontenot and the rest of the Falcons front office were being praised for getting the team out of cap hell. Now, they are right back in it, thanks to the signing of Kirk Cousins.
Of course, the situation still isn’t as horrendous as it once was. Most of the money owed to Cousins will be completely off the books after next season. But there is no getting around the fact that it will be very difficult to put together a playoff-caliber roster in 2025 because of their cap limitations.
There are several things the Falcons can consider to improve their standing with the cap. Restructuring the contracts of star players like Chris Lindstrom and Jessie Bates III will get the organization back in the green. An extension for star receiver Drake London could be considered, and perhaps the Falcons could even find a trade partner and move off of Cousins, which would be the best case scenario.
However, regardless of what Atlanta does, they aren’t going to be free spenders this offseason like we saw last year. The Cousins’ contract is an albatross, and the Falcons don’t really have much of a choice other than to lie in the bed they made. With limited cap space and just four picks in the upcoming draft, thanks to trades and tampering penalties, Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris better hope Michael Penix Jr. is a left-handed Dan Marino, or the Falcons will miss the postseason for the eighth straight season, and it’s hard to imagine either of them keep their job if that happens.
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Photographer: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
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