Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — I fear I am going to have to answer Kirk Cousins related questions until the day he is no longer on this roster.
That's no problem, though. At least that means there is something to talk about in this relatively slow offseason as we gear up for the 2025 NFL Draft at the end of April.
Your questions this week revolved around Cousins, his continued connection to the Falcons and — yes — we are getting into some center-talk, too. The two most talked about positions in all of sports: The quarterback and... the center. When's the Netflix documentary about the latter coming out?
Jim C. from Townsend, Tennessee
The Falcons are taking a lot of heat for a very expensive backup QB in Kirk Cousins. Can you tell me where the Falcons currently rank in the NFL in money committed to both the starting and backup QB?
So, I do not have the updated numbers. I will be honest in that. However, I can go off of what it was at the beginning of the year, which was eight in the league, according to Terry Fontenot back in January. Here's that quote:
"We gave Kirk Cousins two years guaranteed. When you do that, you expect to get high-level quarterback play for two seasons. We understand that didn't happen. Nobody was happy to make the switch at that time. We wanted to get that high-level quarterback play for two seasons. Now what happens is we had to accelerate that plan and go to Mike (Penix) earlier. The allocation at the quarterback position, the cap allocation, is we're eighth in the league. That's what we had planned for where Kirk is the starter. He's not the starter anymore, but we're very comfortable moving forward with him as a backup."
This number could (and probably has) changed considering the recent quarterback moves of teams like the Raiders, Seahawks and, most recently, the Giants. Throw the Steelers in there, too, if they ever get Aaron Rodgers to make a decision. So, that eighth place could no longer be accurate, but I doubt its fluctuated significantly one way or another. You're probably talking one or two spots if I had to guess.
Know this doesn't directly answer your question because I don't have updated numbers, but hopefully this provides at least a snapshot for you!
Will S. from Summerville, Georgia
Hey guys, first, thanks for your hard work. Do you think Cousins will still be a Falcon at the start of the season? And... if he is, knowing he has already requested a trade, do you expect him to be an unwanted distraction or a team player? Thank you.
No. I do not think the Falcons will start the 2025 season with Cousins on the roster. Now, I will preface this by saying this is Tori McElhaney writing this, not anyone within the organization that ultimately has the power to make that decision.
However, I think the fact that Cousins went on Good Morning Football during the lead-up to the Super Bowl and claimed he was working through a shoulder/elbow injury and that is the reason behind his poor performance in November (ultimately looking to give interested teams a reason to trust and pursue him), coupled with the recent report that he met with owner Arthur Blank and expressed his desire to be a starter in this league is all the writing on the wall any of us need.
Heck, even Cousins said himself in his final press conference in 2024 that he didn't "forget how to play quarterback." Thus, he wants to be a quarterback — a starting quarterback — in this league. Michael Penix Jr. is that guy in Atlanta right now. Cousins is his backup. Cousins has said and its been reported that he doesn't want to be a backup. So, ergo, he'll need to go somewhere that gives him the opportunity to start. Right now, that place is not Atlanta.
But the Falcons kind of hold the power here. Sure, Cousins has his no-trade clause, but if he wants to be a starter somewhere, he has to waive it. At that point, the Falcons have to get the right price. It'll likely have to be a post-June 1 designation and the dance partner in the trade would have to be willing to take on a portion — if not all — of Cousins' guaranteed salary, considering that is really the only way the Falcons can get a little bang for their own buck by moving on from Cousins. He'll carry a $40 million cap hit regardless of what happens to him. At least a trade with a post-June 1 designation could alleviate some of the dead money while freeing up some cap space. The Falcons would have to find a viable backup afterwards, but I am not particularly concerned about that at this point in time.
All of these Cousins Convos ™ and reports paint the picture for me that it would be very difficult to see a path forward where Cousins is on this roster beyond the start of the 2025 season. Not saying it can't happen, but I don't feel like we will even get to the point of having to answer your second question based on everything laid out here.
King Dad from Cookeville, Tennessee
I am concerned by how quietly one of our main issues is being overlooked. The loss of Drew Dalman at center is a big concern. As the play caller for the offensive and the pivot point for line play, center is a crucial position. The connection with the quarterback is huge. We will presumably have Ryan Neuzil in place to start, but do we have anyone else we can slot in behind him? I would love to see our second-round pick go here if a good option is available. Could you please dig into this a little more?
I get it that the loss of Dalman stings. However, I would not consider it to be the biggest issue facing the team at this point in time. I feel this way because I think the Falcons have an easy solution in Neuzil, as you mentioned. He was more than serviceable in relief for Dalman through eight starts in 2024. It goes a long way that the Falcons would have so much continuity across their offensive line from year to year — and I have always included Neuzil in that continuity, too. It also helps that Chris Lindstrom is to a center's right. He can make up for a lot of deficiencies that may arise. Neuzil is also someone you retain on the cheap if/when the Falcons sign him following his tender. This helps cap allocations this season and (perhaps) opens things up in 2026 or 2027 to pay a bigger portion of the budget to a center — or as you're suggesting, draft one.
Speaking of which, I personally would not use a second-round pick on a center this time around. If this is 2026? I would make a bigger case to do so. However, if the Falcons want to use their fourth-round pick on an offensive lineman, I am fine with that. If the Falcons were to acquire a third-round pick some how, some way? I'd be fine using that on the offensive line, too.
But a second is just too high in my mind considering the needs the team has across the defensive line and secondary. Defensive is where my priorities lie in this year's draft.
CALL FOR QUESTIONS
The offseason is in full swing. So, I bet you have questions! You can submit said questions here, or send me a tweet to @tori_mcelhaney.
