The Falcons raised eyebrows when they decided to retain general manager Terry Fontenot while parting ways with head coach Arthur Smith. However, even if rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. proves to be the franchise’s next cornerstone, it shouldn’t absolve Fontenot of his missteps or secure his position as GM.
The argument that drafting Penix Jr. justifies Fontenot’s tenure misses the mark. It wasn’t the decision to draft Penix that was flawed; it was doing so mere weeks after handing Kirk Cousins $100 million in guaranteed money. Either move could have been defensible on its own, but together, they were an unforgivable financial misstep.
The result? The Falcons have failed to fully maximize their investment in either quarterback. Cousins’ tenure has been marred by inefficiency. $90 million for a quarterback that started a grand total of 14 games can be viewed as nothing other than a complete disaster, and Penix, while promising, is now tasked with saving a season that has spiraled out of control. Meanwhile, the team will still carry significant dead money from the Cousins contract—making it that much more difficult for Penix to succeed in the future.
Beyond the quarterback debacle, Fontenot’s overall body of work leaves much to be desired. While he inherited a challenging cap situation, the steps he took to clean it up—shedding bloated contracts and enduring a couple of seasons of dead money—are moves any competent GM could have executed. Praising Fontenot for “fixing the cap” is praising him for the bare minimum.
And what has he done with the cap space? Outside of a few notable moves, such as signing Jessie Bates, the salary flexibility has yet to yield substantial results. Bates has been a standout, but offering a fair-market contract to a non-premium position doesn’t exactly elevate Fontenot to the upper echelon of NFL GMs.
Fontenot’s draft record is another sore spot. His selections have been inconsistent at best, with few home-run picks to show for his tenure, despite constantly picking in the top 10 picks of the draft. The team’s core remains reliant on players acquired by the previous regime or high-profile free agents, raising questions about Fontenot’s ability to build through the draft—a cornerstone of sustained success in the NFL.
It’s likely that Michael Penix Jr.’s performance will play a significant role in Fontenot’s future. If the rookie manages to lead the Falcons to a postseason berth, it might save Fontenot’s job, but that would reflect more on Penix’s talent than Fontenot’s decision-making.
The GM’s track record suggests a troubling inability to capitalize on opportunities. For a franchise looking to reclaim relevance, mediocrity in the front office is a recipe for long-term disappointment. While Penix’s potential success is a bright spot, it shouldn’t put a blanket over the larger failures of Fontenot’s tenure.
The Falcons’ leadership must demand more. Settling for a below-average GM, even if the team stumbles into success, only delays the inevitable reckoning.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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