The Atlanta Falcons made the most noise of any team last offseason. They signed Kirk Cousins to a massive deal and gave many free agents new contracts as well. They saw an opportunity to try and win the division and make a playoff push. Things started out well but came unraveled fast. They narrowly missed the playoffs after sputtering down the stretch. Here are the three most important questions this offseason for Atlanta.
1. What Do The Atlanta Falcons Do With Kirk Cousins?
The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback was one of the most sought-after free agents last offseason. Despite coming off an Achilles injury, the Atlanta Falcons gave him a four-year, $180 million contract with $90 million guaranteed. Through the first 60% of the season, it was going well. Then, the play of the veteran quarterback left the team no choice but to bench him. In the first nine games of the season, Cousins threw for an average of 258.6 yards and a total of 17 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. The team went 6-3 in those games.
Over the next five games, the team would go 1-4, with Cousins throwing for only one touchdown and a whopping nine interceptions. After their slim victory over the lowly Raiders, the team decided to give eighth-overall pick Michael Penix Jr. a chance. He immediately looked better than Cousins and gave the Atlanta Falcons a better chance at winning. What does the team do with him this offseason? They will likely try to trade him as some team will convince themselves to take on the veteran. Atlanta likely wants to move on, hoping fans will forget the contract they shelled out one year ago.
2. Does Michael Penix Jr. Improve With A Full Offseason?
The beneficiary of Cousins being done playing is Penix Jr. There will be no controversy heading into the offseason on who the starter is. He will get the first team reps and prepare to lead this team in 2025. His play was good for someone thrust into the starting role in the middle of the season. In five games and three starts, he threw for 775 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added another score on the ground. Two of the losses he took were in overtime, and in both games, he never saw the ball in the extra period.
The Atlanta Falcons have the offensive firepower. Drake London showed he can be a number-one target in an offense. Bijan Robinson is one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL. The rest of the receivers complement each other well, and the offensive line is solid. Penix Jr.’s development should be priority number one this offseason. If he doesn’t develop into a solid starter, the Falcons would have drafted a bust in the top ten and paid out $90 million guaranteed for part of a season for an aging quarterback.
3. Can They Upgrade The Pass Rush?
The Atlanta Falcons defense looked solid coming into 2024. Their biggest question was their pass rush. In the eleventh hour of the offseason, the team traded for New England Patriots edge Matthew Judon, hoping he would fix their pass rush deficiency. He did not. The Falcons only sacked the quarterback 31 times this season, an average of 1.8 per game, which was 31st in the entire league. It doesn’t matter how good your secondary is. NFL offenses are too good and will carve up a secondary if given enough time.
There is no doubt upgrades that can be made on the roster, but often, a lack of pass rush has to do with the scheme. In some cases, players are trying to rush individually rather than as a unit. In others, the play calls may not be putting the best players in positions to make big plays. Whatever the case, the Atlanta Falcons have to figure out how to generate more pressure on the quarterback. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how much Penix Jr. improves.
Final Thoughts
The Atlanta Falcons aren’t in terrible shape by any means. They have cornerstone pieces and are in a division that doesn’t have much competition. Both the Saints and Panthers will still be in rebuilding mode, and the Bucs didn’t exactly run away with the division this year. They were very active last offseason, and I expect to see a repeat performance this offseason.
