This time last year, the Atlanta Falcons were one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL — largely due to their splash signing of veteran free agent Kirk Cousins.
Cousins immediately elevated Atlanta into the conversation as potential contenders, a status the franchise hadn’t enjoyed in more than five years. But it wasn’t just Cousins that made headlines. The Falcons shocked the league by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Heading into the 2025 season, the roles have reversed. Penix has been named the starter, while Cousins — who is set to make $27.5 million this year — has been relegated to QB2. That dramatic shift is a big reason why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranks Atlanta as one of the most interesting teams in the league.
Gagnon lists the Falcons sixth on his list of top eight teams to watch, pointing to the potential for quarterback drama as a major storyline.
“The Falcons are gambling that sophomore first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. can do more with a stacked group of offensive weapons than Kirk Cousins could in 2024, but with the tantalizing caveat that the expensive Cousins also remains on the roster,” Gagnon wrote. “Bring on the drama.
“Penix looks fun and brings plenty of promise, and the defense — long starved for front-seven playmakers — will finally benefit after the front office spent significant draft capital on first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
“Throw in that the NFC South is expected to be anyone’s to win, and the high-ceiling/low-floor Falcons could be a hot story throughout the ‘25 campaign.”
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Penix took over late last season after Cousins struggled down the stretch. He showed flashes of promise in his three starts but still has much to prove.
“If Michael Penix Jr. can properly harness his aggressive downfield mentality and fire the deep strikes that helped him become the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Atlanta will be a significant draw,” USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “But his accuracy can come and go, and some growing pains seem inevitable for a passer who still has a ways to go in making full-field reads and handling pressure.”
Penix went 1-2 as a starter, finishing with 775 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 58.1% of his passes — a small but intriguing sample. The uncertainty only grows if Cousins remains on the roster and Penix stumbles out of the gate.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski still believes a trade involving Cousins is possible, potentially with division rival New Orleans.
“For the Falcons, they’re looking at the situation much like the Philadelphia Eagles once did with Donovan McNabb,” Sobleski wrote. “Atlanta already benched Cousins last year. He turns 37 later this summer and probably isn’t going to elevate the New Orleans Saints enough to threaten them in the division this year.
“Also, the Falcons are all-in with Michael Penix Jr., and they couldn’t bluff their way into an earlier Cousins trade. So, a deal remains a possibility.”
