Unless Kirk Cousins does this, anonymous NFL source says Falcons will move on in 2024

The Falcons finally have expectations to make the postseason.

Of course, that was the goal last season under Arthur Smith, but it wasn’t like it is this year. Raheem Morris will be under fire if he doesn’t get his club to the playoffs. This roster has all of the tools to win a weak NFC South and host the first playoff game in Mercedes Benz Stadium.

The acquisitions of Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon put expectations over the top. The defense was a chief concern a few weeks ago, and then the Falcons added two Pro Bowl players at the biggest positions of need.

It’s a complementary football team now; however, the reason for the optimism began several months ago when the club finally fixed the quarterback position, paying a premium for Kirk Cousins.

The Falcons haven’t met expectations because of poor quarterback play more than anything. That is no longer an excuse. In fact, it’s the reason the Falcons should be disappointed if they’re a one-and-done in the postseason.

In a recent quarterback rankings article from The Athletic, Cousins came in ranked as the 13th signal caller, but an anonymous voter had an excellent point about Cousins’ future in Atlanta.

“I think Cousins will not be the quarterback in Atlanta next year,” one voter said. “Unless Atlanta wins multiple games in the playoffs, the season is a failure for Kirk, unfortunately, based on the desire to see Michael Penix.”

I couldn’t agree more about this sentiment, especially if the Falcons lose a playoff game at the fault of Kirk Cousins. It’s a team game and will never be on one player, but Michael Penix Jr.’s presence will make for a perfect storm to move on from Cousins at the first sign of struggle.

The Falcons will have to win at least one playoff game, in my opinion, for Cousins to be brought back in 2025. Hell, even that might not be enough if Raheem Morris believes Penix gives Atlanta a higher ceiling next season.

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