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The Atlanta Falcons will not be playing in the postseason this year. After a 6-3 start, the team faded down the stretch by losing six of their last eight contests.
Former NFL QB Alex Smith took a shot at the front office after the fact. He was dumbfounded by how the organization handled the quarterback situation.
Atlanta signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a massive deal worth $180 million in the offseason. They then selected rookie Michael Penix with their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The move surprised many, including Cousins, who was left in the dark on the draft decision. Still, the plan seemed to be evident. Play Cousins while allowing Penix to learn behind a proven leader before thrusting him into the lineup.
That plan went awry late in the year. Despite that hefty price tag placed on Cousins, the Falcons replaced their starting signal caller after a 7-7 start.
Michael Penix went 1-2 as a starter to effectively end playoff hopes. Alex Smith believes it was the wrong move. He laid into the organization on ESPN.
“From my perspective, this is an organizational disaster. In the last calendar year, think about this. Your personnel department went out and thought that Kirk Cousins was good enough to give a $180M contract. Then, you spent a first round, Top 10 pick on a QB, and now, after 14 games, you’ve changed your mind and thrust him in?
“I think [Penix] has a bright future, but with three games left, there’s not time to develop. I know, again, they love him and the future is bright… but the truth is, he missed 10-12 throws [in his last game]… There was zero margin of error, and I think that was so unfair to put on this kid… You paid Kirk Cousins $90M for 14 games. That’s a $40M cap hit next year. The ramifications of this are going to echo into next season. This is what dysfunction looks like.”
-Alex Smith
Smith blasted the Falcons for having no plan when signing Cousins and drafting Penix. Both were pricey investments, but the situation was mismanaged. He believed Atlanta to be the most talented team in the NFC South division. Due to the fiasco under center, though, they won’t be able to show that in the playoffs.
Now, questions will surround Cousins’ NFL future. With the Falcons moving onto the next option, his time in Atlanta could be short-lived. The belief is that the team will release him in the offseason.