Falcons’ QB situation named NFL’s most overblown offseason storyline

The Atlanta Falcons were initially praised for signing free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins over the offseason, but that narrative changed once the team selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Analysts around the league roasted the Falcons for taking Penix instead of a player who could help them in 2024. This became one of the most controversial storylines of the offseason, but people are starting to come around to the idea.

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm listed Atlanta’s quarterback situation as the most overblown offseason storyline in a new feature:

I’ve come full circle on this one. I get why so many people didn’t like the selection of Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall originally, and I don’t blame them for feeling that way. Everything to that point of the offseason indicated Atlanta was making a push for now, and the Penix move appeared to undercut that in an odd way. If you want to argue that it didn’t help Kirk Cousins get better, I hear you. But I’d push back on the idea that it didn’t make the team better. Falcons fans might be programmed a certain way, having seen Matt Ryan start virtually every game for a decade and a half, and Cousins had been pretty darned durable prior to last year’s Achilles injury, but having two quarterbacks capable of starting is seldom a bad thing. — Eric Edholm, NFL.com

While the Falcons haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season, they didn’t get rid of Matt Ryan until 2022, proving their issues went beyond the quarterback position.

However, the roster has come a long way over the last few years and you could argue that a competent QB would have led the team to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024.

As Edholm goes on to point out, the addition of Penix probably didn’t sit well with Cousins, but the 12-year veteran doesn’t really have a right to complain after signing a four-year, $180 million deal:

I’m not worried about Cousins’ psyche. He’s seen too much (and made too much money) to be thrown off by this. And if Cousins does get hurt, the Falcons have legitimate hope with their Plan B, even if Penix is a rookie — in part because he’s a rookie who spent six years and made 45 starts in college. Look, the NFC South is eminently winnable. The Falcons have a favorable schedule. You might not have liked their decision to protect their most important asset with a layer of insurance, but it’s hard to deny it might come in pretty handy. — Eric Edholm, NFL.com

As much as it confused the rest of the league, adding an insurance policy for a 36-year-old coming off a serious injury isn’t the craziest idea in the world. The risk comes down to potentially passing on a player who could have helped the team this season.

Ultimately, the move will be judged by how far the Falcons go in 2024. Make sure to check out our pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction for Atlanta.

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