It’s almost the end of the season, which means it’s award time! The Falcons had a pair of Pro Bowlers in Chris Lindstrom, who earned his second straight bid, and KhaDarel Hodge, who earned the first Pro Bowl honor of his career.
The MVP race should be an interesting one with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson neck and neck, with Joe Burrow and Saquon Barkley equally deserving of praise for their impressive seasons. But in this world, there’s always a yin to a yang.
While the Falcons season as a whole should only be viewed as a failure, there were a few silver linings. Michael Penix Jr. seems primed to step into the role as the franchise quarterback next year. Bijan Robinson is already among the best running backs in the league, but there’s one stain on this team — Kirk Cousins.
The decision to hand the 36-year-old $180 million over four years after he tore his Achilles was always a gamble, and it couldn’t have gone worse for the Falcons, earning the award for the worst offseason gamble by The Athletic’s Mike Jones.
Worst offseason gamble: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
The Atlanta Falcons’ $180 million roll of the dice didn’t even get them one full season of high-level production from the 36-year-old, who was coming off a torn Achilles tendon. Michael Penix Jr. (drafted eighth overall) has taken over and Cousins will likely hit free agency again in the spring.
If Michael Penix Jr. turns out to be the franchise’s next long-term quarterback, it will numb the sting of Kirk Cousins’ contract. It will likely keep Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris employed in Atlanta for longer than they should. That’s the way things go with finding the answer at the signal caller position.
However, they both should be held accountable for the Falcons handing a 36-year-old coming off an Achilles injury a two-year guarantee. They’ll likely have to eat considerable dead money in the process of parting ways with Cousins this offseason. To make matters worse, don’t forget they also lost a fifth-round pick for tampering during the free agency process.
Granted, when the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins, it was met with cheers from the fan base. Of course, there was always the chance that the veteran wouldn’t be the same following his Achilles injury. But the thought was that Cousins, who was never mobile to begin with, would be able to return to the level of play he was at in 2023.
It went as poorly as possible. It’s nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. There are very few examples where people get to keep their jobs after making a $180 million mistake, but that’s just how the Atlanta Falcons operate under Arthur Blank.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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