The Atlanta Falcons drafting Michael Penix, Jr. eighth overall sped up the clock for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who originally planned to retire as a Falcon. Despite what head coach Raheem Morris may say, those plans are now in jeopardy. The rookie quarterback contract clock is now ticking away. Even though general manager Terry Fontenot has stated they are okay waiting four to five years to see Penix, that isn’t the reality. The reality is that the Falcons want to know what they have in their shiny new toy sooner rather than later, that means if Cousins wants to play out this season, he will have to prove to Fontenot and Morris that he still has what it takes to lead this team to a championship. Cousins has one year to prove he is a championship-caliber quarterback, and it’s right now.
There will be those who see the money invested and accolades of Cousins and brush this aside as an asinine, reactionary take on an unusual situation. However, if you look at the moves the Falcons have made, they are sending a message that they are more interested in the future than building a bona fide contender right now.
Outside of the Penix situation, trading up in the second round for a project like Ruke Orhorhoro is not a move you take with the current questions the Falcons have on the roster at wide receiver, cornerback, edge rusher, etc. Not if you’re trying to win now. Orhorhoro’s impact on the defense won’t manifest for a few years. He and the pick of Brandon Dorlus are pillars of the future of the Falcons' defensive line under Raheem Morris. The only help on the offensive side of the ball was Alabama's Jase McClellan , a running back who will be fighting for touches in one of the more talented running back rooms in the league.
Also, despite the money thrown at him, if you look at Cousins' overall resume, has he earned the right to be called a championship-caliber quarterback? The Vikings signed him in 2018 as the missing piece to their championship team and since then, while he has won 50 games over those six years, he has only one playoff win to show for it.
Cousins has to prove to the Falcons that he deserves a longer leash and is the $180 million quarterback he has signed up to be. Because Cousins has made a lot of money in his career, but he has yet to lead a significant playoff run,
While everybody tries to understand their role in this newfound awkward situation that Atlanta has found themselves in, Cousins seems to be on a hot seat that he did not sign up for.
And who knows, if Cousins proves he is worth building around, there seems to be a talent-rich 2025 draft that could find day-one starters outside of the quarterback position.
Most Popular
Comments / 0