Sports
Not many groups acquire themselves in a disclose love the Atlanta Falcons coming into this offseason. Nonetheless, no longer many groups would hold performed what the Falcons did in final year’s NFL Draft.
Atlanta no longer most productive signed outmoded quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract however also drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth general pick. It became as soon as considered one of essentially the most involving draft-day curveballs in NFL historical previous.
And now, the Falcons are paying for it—actually. But they’d maybe well also thrive from it.
After 10 games final season, Cousins began to disintegrate. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until the closing three games that head coach Raheem Morris made up our minds to bench him in desire of Penix. The extinct Washington Huskies ticket-caller went 1-2 however interestingly did ample to solidify himself because the franchise’s future.
“Michael Penix is our quarterback,” Morris said on the NFL Scouting Mix. “And Michael Penix will continue to be our quarterback. We stood here last year, we talked about looking for that guy. And we believe we found him. I got so much confidence in Michael Penix leading us into our future. I believe our whole building does. I believe our fanbase does. And I believe our owner does.”
So where does that bound away Cousins?
Most sit down up for he’ll be on the trade block as soon as the fresh league year begins and free agency opens on March 12. Nonetheless, in step with The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, the Falcons would possibly possibly well completely handle Cousins as a backup in 2025.
The Falcons are sticking to their memoir about Kirk Cousins, whether or no longer anyone open air of Atlanta believes it or no longer. Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot continue to relate they’d be fully happy to hold Cousins relief because the No. 2 quarterback, and there’s no cause to originate the outmoded.
The league’s response in Indianapolis became as soon as in fact, ‘Oh yeah, what about that $10 million roster bonus Cousins is due on March 17 and a seemingly fractious locker room within the season?’ It won’t be a lot longer earlier than we learn which side blinks first. If the Falcons can salvage any trade cost for the quarterback, they’ll be the immense winners on the desk.
No subject what Morris and Fontenot relate, it’s hard to mediate they’d pay Cousins his massive contract merely to handle a clipboard. Nonetheless, this isn’t a team that follows extinct norms.
One design or one other, Atlanta shall be paying Cousins—whether or no longer he’s on the roster or lower or traded, because it is seemingly they’d desire to peaceable take on a gargantuan amount of his contract to switch him to 1 other team. Keeping him is no longer going to be the worst device, fascinated by the hurt threat at quarterback. But with March 12 drawing shut, the Falcons will rapidly desire to evaluate whether or now to no longer follow their memoir—or fabricate a switch.