ClutchPoints
Few teams have a more interesting offseason ahead of them than the Atlanta Falcons. Currently dealing with one of the worst cap situations in the league, general manager Terry Fontenot has a lot of roster reconstruction ahead of him as the team transitions into the Michael Penix Jr. era. Far from a finished product, the Falcons are expected to be busy in the 2025 NFL offseason.
The Falcons’ future remains bright despite the feeble way their season ended. Penix has just three starts under his belt but fell only one game short of the playoffs. He went just 1-2 as a rookie but lost both games in overtime.
Without much cap space to work with, Atlanta’s initial offseason moves will come internally. The team’s bloated roster leaves behind several potential cut candidates, most notably recently signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Despite inking a four-year, $180 million contract in 2024, Cousins lost his job to Penix at the end of his first season with the team, instantly making him a liability.
In addition to Cousins, even some of the team’s most respected veterans are unsafe ahead of the 2025 NFL offseason. Beloved fan-favorite Younghoe Koo had the worst season of his career in 2024, making him a fringe roster option. Even organizational mainstays, such as Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata, cannot feel any sense of job security. Frustrating on-field performances have even caused fans to clamor for the end of Kyle Pitts’ young tenure.
With a handful of mega-sized contracts and a plethora of league-average deals, Atlanta’s payroll situation is less than ideal. With most of his young core still on rookie contracts, Fontenot has ample time to tinker with his options in the meantime. Yet, the time is running out, and with Penix now firmly in control, the Falcons’ window of opportunity is as open as it has been in years.
No player in the league has been involved in cut rumors more than Cousins over the past three months. The discussions began as soon as he was benched for Penix, with many already predicting his next team in free agency. The biggest hindrance to Cousins’ potential release is the sheer size of his contract. A possible release would force the Falcons to eat over $60 million in dead money.
Still, Atlanta has no use for Cousins on its roster. At 36, his inconsistency makes him nothing more than a depth option. The starting job is now firmly in Penix’s grasp, and Cousins will not be the guy to change that. Over his last five starts in 2024, Cousins threw just one touchdown to nine interceptions. His brutal collapse resulted in a mere 18:16 touchdown-interception ratio, one of the worst marks in the league.
The writing has been on the wall since the Falcons drafted Penix with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Given the size of the contract Cousins just signed, many expected it would take the former Washington Husky more...
