Atlanta is all in on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the face of the franchise, but the Falcons insist they don't have to part with high-priced No. 2 Kirk Cousins."I'm excited, I k

With Michael Penix Jr. in place, there’s no need for Cousins to stick around as an overpaid backup. Many around the NFL assume the Falcons will have no choice but to release Cousins, which would incur a dead cap hit of $65 million.

The Falcons' season represented a one game improvement under new head coach Raheem Morris, who shocked the NFL world by switching from high priced former free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins to rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Cousins and the Falcons got off to a good start last season, but poor play and injury issues revealed after the fact slowed the quarterback down along with Atlanta's offense. Eventually the Falcons benched Cousins in favor of Penix, but it was too late to make the playoffs.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams was the highest-rated prospect in ESPN's pre-draft rankings. Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars was second while Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow was ranked third. Penix was ranked 19th out of 21 total prospects listed, one spot ahead of Shedeur Sanders.

The Atlanta Falcons experienced a major shift in their quarterback situation. After signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative deal, his performance faltered

Fontenot said Tuesday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis that Cousins is still the Falcons' backup amid talks of a potential trade or release when free agency opens March 12.

The Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. and signed Kirk Cousins last year. Terry Fontenot was asked if his time with the Saints influenced the decision:

Outside of their bad deal at quarterback, and a not-great financial situation, the Falcons are in a solid place this offseason.