Pro Football Rumors
The 2024 offseason put the Falcons’ most significant pieces in place. A year later, Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins are still coexisting. Cousins’ attempts to be released or traded have failed. For now, Atlanta is keeping the high-priced veteran as a disgruntled backup. As the Penix era begins in earnest, the Falcons used their top 2025 offseason resources on defense.
After Atlanta used its 2024 first-round pick on Penix, it doubled down on an area it has been unable to staff for the better part of a decade. The team will hope its two first-round edge rushers can make an immediate difference, as it has now been eight years since the franchise’s last playoff appearance.
Before its Cousins retention and OLB draft choices, the Falcons locked down their reliable left tackle. No longer a blindside presence thanks to Penix joining Tua Tagovailoa as the NFL’s only southpaw starting quarterbacks, Matthews nevertheless sits as an important piece to open a new period. This is Matthews’ fourth contract. A spotless track record placed the NFL legacy in position to enter the $20MM O-line club at 33. Matthews has missed one career game, lining up for every Falcons contest over the past 10 seasons.
The 2014 first-round pick protected Matt Ryan‘s blind side for eight years. With Grady Jarrett off the roster, Matthews is the last remaining Falcon from their Super Bowl LI season. None of Matthews’ teammates arrived before 2019; Thomas Dimitroff was midway through his GM tenure when he tabbed Matthews to protect Ryan. That selection did not give the Falcons a top-flight tackle; Matthews has just one Pro Bowl and zero All-Pro accolades on his resume. Despite this and no ties to the current coaching staff or GM, Matthews collected a new deal that came in beyond the Dion Dawkins–Taylor Decker–Garett Bolles tier established last year.
Finalizing this re-up hours before free agency, the Falcons have their LT signed through 2028. Acting early probably helped, as Matthews may have demanded more in light of middling LT Dan Moore Jr. fetching $20.5MM per year a day later. Still, Matthews is on track to enter Week 1 as the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid player at the position.
McGary’s late-summer extension gives the Falcons three O-linemen earning at least $15MM per year; All-Pro guard Chris Lindstrom is at $20.5MM AAV. These contracts join Matthew Bergeron‘s rookie deal and Ryan Neuzil‘s RFA tender on the Falcons’ payroll.
Part of a high-end 2023 crop of free agent right tackles, McGary has held his own despite not being deemed as valuable as Mike McGlinchey or Jawaan Taylor (believe it or not) that year. Pro Football Focus has graded McGary as a top-30 tackle in each of the past three seasons, slotting him 29th last season. McGary’s run-blocking ability has helped Bijan Robinson start fast, after the former first-round tackle’s work boosted **[Tyler...
