B/R Reveals Falcons Biggest Regret

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon argued that the Atlanta Falcons will regret their biggest move of this offseason.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons hope they fixed their quarterback situation with a pair of signal caller additions -- veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie Michael Penix Jr. -- this offseason. But Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon has essentially argued this offseason that he wishes the Falcons wouldn't have signed Cousins to the 4-year, $180 million contract.

On June 20, Gagnon contended that the Falcons will likely one day wish they hadn't signed Cousins either.

"They oddly spent a top-10 pick on Cousins' eventual successor rather than adding more support for him, and Cousins is far from a lock to lead them to success," Gagnon wrote. "Fresh off an Achilles injury heading into his age-36 season, he's been part of only one playoff victory in his NFL career."

If the Falcons had drafted Penix first before signing Cousins, then the probability of regret would probably be higher. But there was no guarantee Penix was going to be available at No. 8 in the draft.

Having Cousins also means Penix won't need to start immediately. The Falcons can be competitive with Cousins while the rookie learns under him for a couple seasons.

Gagnon at least acknowledged part of the last advantage.

"The Falcons have a stellar arsenal of weapons, most of whom are fairly cheap for now," Gagnon wrote. "They clearly want to capitalize on this window before it's too late and the rest of the offense becomes too expensive."

This offseason will likely be Atlanta's final chance to do that. Tight end Kyle Pitt's contract expires after the 2025 season.

Whether Falcons fans regret the team signing Cousins may depend on expectations.

The hype around the Falcons this summer is rather high because of the Cousins signing. But fans seem a little mixed on how far the team could advance in the postseason.

If Cousins leads Atlanta to an NFC South title and playoff appearance, that should and will be viewed as a success to a lot of people around the league. The Falcons haven't won a division crown in eight years.

But Cousins may need to lead the Falcons to a playoff victory, or even multiple postseason wins, for some Atlanta fans to consider his addition a success.