The Atlanta Falcons are looking ahead to the 2025 season and seek to build a competitive roster that can compete for a playoff spot.
They are hoping to take a positive turn after they flamed out toward the end of the 2024 season. A big reason for that was the lackluster play of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Last March, Atlanta inked Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal that included $100 million guaranteed.
The deal didn't seem to make much sense when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It continued to go south throughout the season and his deal was ranked as one of the worst free agent signings all-time by CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo.
DeArdo listed 10 contacts and Cousins came in at No. 2. His reasoning was, "But Cousins immediately struggled in Atlanta, and he never really recovered. He threw a league-high 16 interceptions and was ultimately benched in favor of Penix after 14 games. While the Falcons have already moved on to Penix, they need to figure out what to do with Cousins, who is currently slated to return to the team as an insanely overpaid backup."
There was certainly cause for concern when the Falcons signed Cousins since he was coming off a torn Achilles. They were hoping that he would be able to bounce back, but the 36-year-old struggled. He was never really mobile, and at times last season, it looked like Cousins couldn't move in the pocket at all.
Despite throwing for 3.508 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, he tossed 16 interceptions and had a 50.4 OBR.
That led to Penix Jr. taking over as the starter. Now, one year later, he appears to be the future at the position, while Atlanta wants to keep Cousins around as the backup.
If they do keep Cousins around in 2025 with a $40 million cap hit, it's more about pride than it is about his play on the field.
Regardless, this signing hasn't aged well, and is already being clowned for one of the worst free-agent contracts in history.