Coming into the offseason, it was clear in Atlanta and across the league that the Falcons would be quarterback-hunting.
Once Raheem Morris was hired, the new head coach immediately acknowledged the state of the roster being the proverbial quarterback away. Terry Fontenot and Arthur Blank did as much as well.
From the top down, the Falcons were gearing up to make a play, which is why, according to Albert Breer, Morris put together a quarterback-centric coaching staff.
Zac Robinson, the team’s offensive coordinator, coached the position after playing it in the NFL. Atlanta’s position coach, T.J. Yates, played seven seasons as an NFL quarterback. Super Bowl champion Doug Williams’ son, D.J. Williams, is the assistant quarterbacks coach and played the position, along with offensive assistant K.J. Black. Senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese has coached quarterbacks in the league for decades.
“So at the end of the deep dive, the Falcons had Cousins as their top veteran target, Tampa’s Baker Mayfield after him,” Breer stated.
As the offseason continued, Baker Mayfield re-signed with the Buccaneers, which was expected, forcing the Falcons to go all-in on Kirk Cousins or go with other contingencies, a more “economical player at the (quarterback) position” like “a rookie or a vet such as Justin Fields” in favor of spending more money on defense.
Christian Wilkins and Danielle Hunter were at the top of the Falcons free agent wishlist if Cousins returned to Minnesota, but Atlanta’s willingness to fully guarantee his 2024 and 2025 salaries and $10 million of the 2026 salary with an average annual value north of $40 million secured Cousins’ services.
Baker Mayfield offered a similar skill set as Cousins but has undeniably been a lesser quarterback since entering the league. Winning immediately was the Falcons’ top goal this offseason, and Cousins gives them a better opportunity to do that than Mayfield.
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Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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