Kirk

Cousins

The Steelers’ current offensive coordinator is the Falcons’ former head coach, Arthur Smith. He will get a chance to debut Pittsburgh’s new offense with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields at the helm against his former team. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins will likely make his Falcons debut in this game, after signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the team. Though Atlanta took Michael Penix Jr. in the draft, Cousins is still expected to be the starter for this season. His return off an Achilles injury, along with Arthur Smith’s new offense, will be the storylines for this game.

Caleb Williams was presumably the only QB Atlanta’s front office had ranked above Penix, who the team took with the eighth pick. Fowler said Falcons owner Arthur Blank “loomed large” in the decision to take Penix with a top-10 pick. Blank, per Fowler, “fully endorsed long-term stability at the position, which Kirk Cousins, at age 35, cannot satisfy to the same degree.” After Matt Ryan and Michael Vick ran the Atlanta offense for the better part of two decades, Blank has no interest in a quarterback “carousel,” Fowler said. The strong-armed Penix, 24, should get a fair number of QB1 snaps for the Falcons in this summer’s minicamp and maybe in training camp if Cousins isn’t fully recovered from his 2023 Achilles tear. There remains little chance of Penix starting in 2024.

Speaking during NFL Network’s live draft coverage, Jeremiah mentioned that he reached out to Cousin’s agent, Mike McCartney, who said that neither he nor Cousins were given a heads-up by the Falcons that they were going to take Penix. Considering the Falcons just signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, the fact that the Falcons would draft a quarterback in the first round and also not tell Cousins is doubly shocking. Penix is also one of the older quarterbacks in the class at 24 years old, so he’ll be 28 by the time Cousins’ contract is over. This certainly doesn’t seem like a situation where the Falcons plan to have both players on the roster for a long time, but what their exact plan is remains anybody’s guess.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot were among Atlanta brass in attendance during the workout, which comes a week after Penix posted impressive numbers during his pro day. The Falcons hold the eighth pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. They appear to be doing their due diligence in case Penix, who turns 24 in May, drops into Day Two of the draft. Penix, coming off a collegiate season in which he threw for nearly 5,000 yards, would sit for at least a year or two behind Kirk Cousins if he were to end up in Atlanta.

As Pelissero notes, this is the league’s standard procedure “in such matters.” Cousins and running back Saquon Barkley were both closely linked to the respective teams they signed with prior to the legal tampering window opening, but the Eagles have already denied any tampering allegations. If either team is revealed to have tampered, the league could hand down disciplinary actions, but that will be determined based on their findings.

Mooney’s deal with Atlanta will reportedly include $26 million guaranteed, quite the haul considering Mooney’s sparse production over four years with the Bears. The Chiefs had reportedly been interested in Mooney, 26, who instead signs with a Falcons offense now quarterbacked by Kirk Cousins. A speedy deep threat, Mooney should function well as Atlanta’s WR2 behind Drake London. Cousins in 2023 ranked seventh among all QBs in completion rate over expected on throws of at least 20 yards downfield. Mooney should get plenty of chances for splash plays in what will be a pass-heavy Atlanta offense.

The Falcons hope Cousins can be the solution at a position that has underwhelmed since Matt Ryan left at the end of the 2021 season. Cousins, who will be 36 at the start of the season, is in the midst of recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in Week 8 of last season but had thrown for 2,331-18-5 prior to going down. Cousins will provide an immediate boost to a Falcons offense that ranked 26th in points per game and 22nd in pass yards per game and should be a welcomed addition for Drake London and Kyle Pitts managers. Cousins’ deal reportedly includes $100 million in guaranteed money and is expected to pay $45 million annually.

Cousins’ current contract will automatically void on Wednesday. That will accelerate the remaining money on the deal to 2024 as a dead cap hit. The function gives Cousins a short window to talk with other teams and come back to Minnesota management for a counteroffer. At 35 years old and coming off a torn Achilles’ tendon, Cousins will likely be in line for an expensive but short-term deal. As of now, the Falcons are the only team confirmed to be in talks with Cousins beyond Minnesota, though the Broncos have been rumored as a potential landing spot as well.

The Falcons remain the team to watch once Cousins officially hits the open market. According to Pelissero, the Vikings still hope to re-sign Cousins, but it appears the veteran quarterback will at least entertain other offers before ultimately deciding on his playing future for the 2024 season. Coming off a torn Achilles injury suffered last season, Cousins will be 36 at the start of next season and may have contract demands the Vikings are unwilling to meet. Before his injury, Cousins was on pace for a career year, throwing for 2,331-18-5 in just eight games. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks with his injury, Cousins should have a few good years of football left in him, and could immediately help several teams in need of an upgrade at quarterback.

Cousins is expected to get considerable interest as the top free agent quarterback on the market. While the Vikings would like him back, the Falcons reportedly have Cousins at the top of their wish list, according to Schultz. The Falcons have Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts at the head of an offense with new head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. A Cousins signing would likely elevate all of the Falcons’ offensive weapons for fantasy. The 35-year-old Cousins tore his Achilles in November, but is still headed to receive a sizeable contract. Things could get crazy as the tampering period begins March 11th with the Vikings and Falcons both seemingly contending for Cousins and teams like the Commanders also lurking with sizeable cap space.