The Falcons Still Made a Dumb Decision — Even If It Works Out
Am I the only one who remembers everyone blasting the Falcons last year?
And guess what? I did too, and I stand by it a year later! You can still scroll through the Seattle Mike YouTube channel and find clips of me saying it loud and clear:
“No matter how this turns out — this was a dumb move.”
Let me remind you what this was.
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million deal just weeks before the draft. Then, with the 8th overall pick, they used it on Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
The justification?
“We don’t expect to be drafting this high again, so we took our QB of the future while we could.”
Cool. Except…
You just gave $90 million guaranteed to a quarterback you’re intending to replace in the next year or two.
How’d it turn out?
Cousins didn’t fit the offense.
He struggled.
And by the end of the season, he was benched.
Penix took over. And now? It’s his job to lose.
So yeah — guys like Chris Simms might be out here saying “Thank God the Falcons drafted Penix.”
And I actually agree. MPJ might be a stud.
This post isn’t about drafting Penix.
It’s about why the hell they signed Cousins in the first place.
The Falcons knew it was a quarterback-heavy draft.
They knew Penix, Bo Nix, or JJ McCarthy — or all three — would likely be there at pick 8.
So why drop the bag on Kirk Cousins?
If you wanted a veteran to help bridge your rookie into the league, you had options:
• Jacoby Brissett
• Gardner Minshew
• Joe Flacco
• Russell Wilson (if you jumped early)
All cheaper. All smarter decisions.
Instead, you gave Kirk Cousins $90 million guaranteed to play 11 games and then sit down. Now you’re stuck with the fallout.
Unless they find a trade partner, Cousins is set to count $40 million against the Falcons’ cap this season.
A trade would still leave $12.5 million in dead cap, per Spotrac.
But let’s be honest — there are three big problems with a trade:
1. The QB market is dry. The Steelers are the only team that still might need one, and they’re reportedly about to sign Aaron Rodgers.
2. Cousins’ contract is brutal. He’s set to count $105 million against the cap over the next two years.
3. His value’s cooked. He’s coming off a bad year and an average career.
So what now?
They can:
• Keep Kirk as the most expensive backup in the league.
• Cut him and eat $75 million in dead cap.
• Trade him for pennies and pray someone takes the contract off their hands.
The only realistic trade partners?
The Steelers, Colts, or Panthers.
(And trading within the division feels very unlikely.)
Bottom line: Even if Michael Penix Jr. turns into the next great Falcons QB…
Even if this all somehow works out…
The original decision was still dumb.
You paid a fortune for a quarterback you immediately replaced.
That’s not good business.
That’s panic.
And no matter how Atlanta fans try to spin it, the Falcons are still cleaning up the mess.