Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. will join an intervention program. 

Pearce Jr. was facing charges of domestic violence, stalking, felony aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing and resisting an officer without violence to his person. Pearce Jr. will need to attend anger management therapy for six months as part of his intervention program. 

On Feb. 7, police reports said that Pearce Jr. followed his ex-girlfriend and WNBA player, Rickea Jackson, with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department.

Pearce Jr. was arrested the day the alleged domestic violence happened. Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran over the knee of a police officer. As he was trying to escape, Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection. Officers again attempted to arrest Pearce Jr., but he resisted arrest further. Police did eventually arrest him after the accident.

On Feb. 14, Jackson told the court she was willing to testify against Pearce Jr. On March 14, she filed a motion for a protective order against Pearce Jr. She told the court that she was in fear for her life and that she believed Pearce Jr. would kill her if the courts didn’t intervene.

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. They met while playing for Tennessee. Jackson currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. Pearce Jr.’s team, the Falcons, said in February that they needed more information before making a statement. Two months have passed since the charges were filed, and the Falcons have yet to make a statement.

Florida law requires that Jackson and the police officers be consulted before the deal is finalized. Pearce Jr. is due in court on May 7 to accept the deal.

WNBA player Rickea Jackson has filed a motion for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend, NFL star James Pearce Jr. 

On Feb. 7, police reports said that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. Jackson told the court that she is in fear of her life and that she believes Pearce Jr. will kill her if the courts don’t intervene. 

Pearce Jr. was arrested the day the alleged domestic violence happened. Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran over the knee of a police officer. As he was trying to escape, Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection. Officers again attempted to arrest Pearce Jr., but he resisted arrest further. Police did eventually arrest him after the accident.

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Pearce Jr. is charged with domestic violence and stalking against Jackson. He is also charged with felony aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person during the police encounter. 

On Feb. 14, Jackson announced that she was willing to testify in the case against Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. had dated for three years until about April 2025. They met while playing for Tennessee. Pearce Jr. plays for the Atlanta Falcons while Jackson plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Falcons said they were gathering more information before making a statement.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. Pearce Jr. has been released on a $20,500 bond. 

There is no scheduled trial date for Pearce Jr. Trial bonds generally do not include restrictions on movement, which prompted Jackson to file for the protective order. 

The Atlanta Falcons plan to sign quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

Tagovailoa was released by the Miami Dolphins just hours before the start of the legal tampering period. The Falcons signed him later in the day to a one-year contract. 

The Dolphins had to absorb $99 million in dead cap over the next two seasons to release Tagovailoa. This is the largest dead cap hit in NFL history. 

The Falcons released their veteran QB Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason. Cousins had 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. The Falcons went on a four-game winning streak with Cousins to end the season. They had restructured his contract, but even with the restructure, it was still financially beneficial to release him. 

Next on the depth chart could have been Michael Penix Jr. Penix Jr. has a 4-8 record in the NFL since being drafted in 2024. 

Instead, the Falcons will entrust Tagovailoa with the starting QB duties. Tagovailoa threw 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2025 – the 15 interceptions were a career high for him. 

A major problem with Tagovailoa’s career has been injury issues. Tagovailoa has only played every game in one season. This season was in 2023, when he led the league with 4,624 passing yards. A big reason for that was thanks to Tyreek Hill, who led the league with 1,799 receiving yards. Hill was released by the Dolphins earlier this offseason.

The Falcons’ new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, has a very QB-friendly system. Rees is big on establishing the run and creating simple looks for QBs. Along with this, he also likes to use two tight ends to maximize protection. This could help keep Tagovailoa healthy. 

Tagovailoa and the Falcons will officially sign the contract on March 11, the beginning of the new league year.

The Atlanta Falcons fired assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis on Friday after he was accused of sexual assault. In a statement, the team said that they were “aware of allegations regarding Lewis” and were “in the process of gathering information.”

In 2024, while at the University of Michigan, Lewis met a woman on a dating app.

Karen Truszkowski, the woman’s attorney, said that Lewis’s behavior became “increasingly aggressive” over the phone and recalled that Lewis was supposed to return the goods her client had given him.

In December 2024, Lewis allegedly raped and battered Truszkowski’s client at Weber’s Hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Milford Police Department responded to a call from the woman’s house in January 2025 after an intense argument between her and Lewis occurred. Despite no charges being filed following the incident, Truszkowski claimed that Lewis physically abused her client and that she was too afraid to tell the police at the time.

Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was notified about the incident but did not take further action. Truszkowski remarked that Moore instead “weaponized” the incident by sending the woman sexually charged messages. Moore is currently awaiting trial after being arrested on charges related to his inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.

Lewis was hired to the Falcons on Feb. 10 after spending the 2025 season coaching the University of Toledo’s defensive line.

Lewis spent three seasons with the Michigan Wolverines as a graduate assistant – he was a member of the 2023-2024 coaching staff, the season when Michigan won the National Championship.

Before coaching, Lewis played for the Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a couple of seasons and later spent 2020 with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks. Lewis was fired less than a month into his tenure with the Falcons.

The team has faced other legal drama this year.

Falcon’s Linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested in Miami in early February after fleeing police and crashing his car after a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

WNBA star Rickea Jackson’s attorneys have filed a court notice informing Miami-Dade County that she is willing to testify in the case of alleged domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend, James Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. On Feb. 7, police reports say that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. 

Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran into the knee of a police officer. Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection, which allowed police to reach him. Pearce Jr. attempted to resist arrest further, but police were able to arrest him anyway. 

Along with the domestic violence charge, he’s also charged with stalking Jackson. He also received charges of felony aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person for his alleged attempts to evade arrest. The last charge is a misdemeanor. 

Jackson had transferred to Tennessee for the 2022-23 college basketball season. Pearce Jr. played football at Tennessee for three seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. The Falcons issued a statement saying they were gathering more information before making any further comments. 

Pearce Jr. was released on $20,500 bond on Feb. 8. Pearce Jr. received a pretrial order to stay away from Jackson. At this point, no trial date has been set for Pearce Jr. 

The Atlanta Falcons may be looking for a new head coach and general manager, but they plan to keep a familiar face in the quarterback room.

The Falcons and Kirk Cousins have agreed to restructure the final two years of his contract. He was signed to a four-year, $180 million contract in the 2024 offseason. His base salary in 2026 has been drastically reduced to $2.1 million. This won’t affect his signing and roster bonus. In 2027, his base salary balloons to $67.9 million. However, if he’s released after the 2026 season, they will only owe him $12.5 million. If they released him this offseason, he’ll be owed $35 million. 

The 2024 season got off to a good start for Cousins. He threw 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions and led the Falcons to a 5-3 record. In the next six games, he threw four touchdowns and nine interceptions and had a 2-4 record. He was benched for rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. 

Cousins spent most of the first half of 2025 on the bench. However, he became the starter in Week 11 after Penix Jr. partially tore his ACL. Cousins led the Falcons to a 5-3 record and had 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. His best game was a 29-28 victory against the Buccaneers, where he threw 3 touchdowns. He threw two interceptions and no touchdowns against the Seahawks, but very few QBs fared well against that defense. 

The Falcons won five of their eight games with Cousins at the QB spot. Outside of a three-touchdown game against the Patriots, Penix Jr. looked extremely underwhelming. The second half of the season showed the Falcons have the pieces to compete. Will they start the veteran Cousins to try and make the playoffs for the first time since 2017? 

On November 9, the Indianapolis Colts played against the Atlanta Falcons, when quarterback Daniel Jones had blood pouring from his mouth during the game.

The Colts played in Germany on Sunday morning, but they gave everything on the field.

This was the case for Jones, whose face the TV cameras captured in a close-up, with his mouth full of blood.

Jones’ injury left fans with serious concern, but that quickly dissolved into high praise after leading the Colts to a victory.

The Colts won 31-25, leaving them with an 8-2 record, having won eight games and lost two.

A fan posted on Twitter saying, “That clutch tie-up shows real grit – playing through a bloody lip like that. Solid effort!”

During the post-game press conference, there was no visible injury to his face.

Jones finished the game with 19 completions out of 26 attempts and gained 255 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked seven times with three fumbles.

In the days since the game, the image has been turned into a meme representing the determination of an athlete against the odds.

The next game for the Colts will be on November 23 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

During a tight 24-23 loss to the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris publicly accused the Patriots of illegally simulating Atlanta’s snap count by clapping, which induced the early snap. According to Morris.

The Atlanta Falcons found themselves caught up in the late-game controversy. With just 2:0 remaining on the clock and Atlanta trailing by one point at the Patriots’ 48-yard line, Falcons center Ryan Neuzil snapped the ball early on second-and-10.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was not prepared, under immediate pressure, and was flagged for intentional grounding. This turned the situation into a third and 20 and effectively ended the chance to tie or take the lead.

If Morris’s claims are true, the act would fall under the NFL rule forbidding disconcerting signals. The Patriots refute the claim. Defensive tackle Milton Williams said he did not hear any clapping and noted the play may have been a result of a communication breakdown on Atlanta’s line.

Coach Mike Vrabel dismissed it as a “waste of time” and said his team did not teach or engage in clapping to confuse a snap.

By the following day, Morris offered a softer position: after reviewing the tape, he acknowledged that the snap was their fault and that he didn’t want to fuel the fire. “It was on us,” he said.

Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins replaced starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Cousins replaced Penix Jr. in the fourth quarter with 10:44 left on the clock.

The Falcons were down 27-0 when Cousins replaced Penix Jr., making this his first appearance of the season.

Cousins was 5-of-7 for 29 yards after entering the game. He accumulated a total of 29 yards.

Penix Jr. had 18-of-36 for 172 yards with two interceptions. He made 18 complete attempts out of 36, accumulating 172 yards.

Head coach Raheem Morris made it clear that there is competition between Cousins and Penix Jr.

Morris said that he pulled Penix Jr. because the game was “out of hand” and he needed to “keep our guys out of harm’s way.”

The Falcons lost 30-0 anyway.

The Falcons’ next game is scheduled for Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The Falcons announced that Penix Jr. will remain as their starter.

The Atlanta Falcons entered the 2024 season with high hopes, having signed quarterback Kirk Cousins and hired new head coach Raheem Morris in the offseason. However, they ultimately finished 8-9 in a mediocre season. Cousins got benched in the season for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons picked eighth overall in the 2024 NFL draft, in week 16. The team fell short of winning the division and heading to the playoffs yet again, but the future of the team was now in the hands of Penix after the Cousins experiment had failed.

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The Falcons’ offseason was productive, signing several free agents like edge rusher Leonard Floyd, wide receiver Jamal Agnew, defensive lineman Morgan Fox, linebacker Divine Deablo, cornerback Mike Ford and safety Jordan Fuller. Many of the moves made on the defensive side of the ball improved the Falcons ‘ run-stopping abilities and secondary. The Falcons did lose some big names this offseason, like Grady Jarrett, who had been on the team for 10 seasons. Atlanta also lost center Drew Dalman, pass rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons.

The NFL draft was a big success for Atlanta. They selected twice in the first round, picking linebacker Jalon Walker out of Alabama 15th overall and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee 26th overall. Both players will be huge impact players on a defense that had an inconsistent pass rush in the 2024 season. The Falcons draft also included safety Xavier Watts, safety Billy Bowman Jr. and tackle Jack Nelson.

Atlanta will have a good chance of winning their division in 2025 again, heading into the season with the 20th most brutal schedule according to Fox Sports. They open their season against the biggest division rival, the Buccaneers, whom they beat both times last season in a game with huge divisional implications. The Falcons’ most challenging games will be vs the Vikings, Bills, 49ers and Rams, who are all potential playoff teams this season. Penix will have the chance to prove he deserves to be the starter this season and help the Falcons make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

ATLANTA FALCONS SCHEDULE & TICKET DEALS

• Week 1: Sept. 7 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 2: Sept. 14 at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday Night Football)
• Week 3: Sept. 21 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Washington Commanders
• Week 5: Bye Week
• Week 6: Oct. 13 vs. Buffalo Bills (Monday Night Football)
• Week 7: Oct. 19 at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night Football)
• Week 8: Oct. 26 vs. Miami Dolphins
• Week 9: Nov. 2 at New England Patriots
• Week 10: Nov. 9 at Indianapolis Colts (Berlin)
• Week 11: Nov. 16 vs. Carolina Panthers
• Week 12: Nov. 23 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 13: Nov. 30 at New York Jets
• Week 14: Dec. 7 vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Week 15: Dec. 11 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 16: Dec. 21 at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 17: Dec. 29 vs. Los Angeles Rams (Monday Night Football)
• Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints

Atlanta Falcons Season/Game Odds

The Falcons will have a lot to prove in 2025 with a new quarterback and only +8000 odds of winning the Super Bowl according to DraftKings. They also have only +3500 odds of winning the NFC Championship and open the season as +2.5 underdogs in week one of the NFL season against the Buccaneers. 

The publisher receives a commission for links in this story. 

Kirk Cousins said he might have re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason had he known the Atlanta Falcons would draft a quarterback in the first round.

For the first time publicly, the veteran opened up on his feelings about the Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft in an episode of the Netflix series Quarterback, which premiered Tuesday.

Cousins said he felt “a little misled” when the Falcons took Penix that high. The Falcons had signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed just a few weeks earlier, tabbing him as their quarterback for 2024 and beyond. The Falcons stunned the NFL – and Cousins – by drafting Penix, because the franchise believed in him as a future franchise quarterback.

Cousins said he was aware that the Falcons might draft a quarterback, but he definitely did not expect it to be that high. He wasn’t informed about the Penix pick until the phone call from the offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, while the Falcons were on the clock.

“Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said on the first episode of the season. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.”

The Vikings, who did extend an offer to Cousins last offseason, drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 draft.

Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start last season before taking a hard hit to his right arm from New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner in Week 10. Cousins said that he knew something was wrong immediately and then later felt pain in his shoulder.

The Falcons’ season took a sharp downward turn beginning with that game. The Falcons lost four straight, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdown passes during that stretch, the worst of his 13-year career.

Cousins said at mandatory minicamp last month that he realized after the season ended that he had been more injured than initially thought. At the time, he said, it felt like just more pain he had to work through, like so many bumps and bruises in the past.

Cousins appeared on the Falcons’ injury report only once after the hit, in Week 11. After that game, a loss to the Denver Broncos, Cousins claimed he was 100 percent.

Cousins admitted he didn’t want to sit and rest the arm, giving way to Penix, because he wasn’t sure if he’d get his job back.

“The information I had at the time, I made the best decision,” Cousins said. “You also know that if you sit down [in] Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back. I remember reading Drew Brees‘ book back in 2010 when he first wrote it, how he made the point that he tried to never let his backup see the field – even if it was somebody who was really no threat. He just felt like you should never do that. Doug Flutie taught him that. So that was something I was aware of, that in this league, if you give someone else the chance, if you want to get ‘Wally Pipped’ and there’s Lou Gehrig behind you, that can happen at the time.”

The Falcons did eventually bench Cousins in Week 16. Penix took over and played solidly, though the team went 1-2 in those games and missed the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins addressed his future with the Atlanta Falcons after months of speculation on the first day of the team’s mandatory minicamp.

Cousins, who enters the second year of his four-year, $180 million contract, requested a trade earlier this offseason after he lost his starting job to then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. during the final three weeks of the 2024 season. But with minicamp underway, training camp is roughly six weeks away, and with just every other starting quarterback vacancy already filled, Cousins appears to be resigned to the fact that he will likely remain with the Falcons for the upcoming season.

“We’re moving forward,” Cousins said, “and it’s about how we as a team and as a quarterback room can be the best we can be in 2025.”

There is still a chance that Cousins gets traded at some point, especially if one of the NFL’s other 31 teams suffers a season-ending injury to their starting quarterback. But based on what Cousins said Tuesday, it appears that he is no longer advocating for a trade. If a trade occurs now, it appears that it would have to be initiated by the Falcons, who at that point would then have to find a capable backup for Penix. Cousins would also have to sign off on any possible trade, as his contract includes a no-trade clause.

While Penix showed promise during the final weeks of the 2024 season, the former first-round pick still finished with an underwhelming 58.1% completion percentage while throwing as many interceptions as touchdown passes (three). Penix’s lack of experience is surely a reason why the Falcons reportedly drove a hard bargain when teams called inquiring about Cousins earlier this offseason. While he may not be the team’s starter, Cousins still has value as an overly qualified backup.

As he said on Tuesday, Cousins is preparing to move ahead with Atlanta, but rest assured that talks regarding his future with the Falcons are far from over, especially with training camp and the start of the regular season.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders received a prank call during the NFL draft from someone claiming to be the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

It turns out that person is Jax Ulbrich, son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich posted to social media on Sunday, apologizing for his actions.

“On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake,” Ulbrich said. “Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing and shameful.”

The video of the prank call was posted on social media. Ulbrich and another person are sitting on a couch holding a phone and a notebook.

The man making the call identifies himself as Saints GM Mickey Loomis.

“We’re going to take you with our next pick here, young man,” the caller said into the phone.

“Yes sir, let’s be legendary,” Sanders replied.

The caller then quickly apologized before hanging up the phone.

Sanders, who was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, was expected to be drafted in the first round, or at the latest, the second. The prank call was made during the second day of the draft.

The Atlanta Falcons released a statement apologizing for the call and revealing how the number was leaked.

“[Jax Ulbrich] unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parents’ home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call.”

The Atlanta Falcons have said they don’t have to trade Kirk Cousins. However, after just one season with the team in which he was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr., a trade seems to be the most logical course of action.

The Falcons have privately had trade discussions with multiple teams. Atlanta has been asking teams to pay for $20 million of his $45 million guarantees. No team to this point has been willing.

Cousins signed a 4-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in free agency last season. It was the largest contract signed in the free agency period. That’s a lot for any player, especially one who isn’t even starting.

There are some teams that could be in play for Cousins. The Cleveland Browns are viewed as the favorite to draft Cousins. ESPN reported that the Minnesota Vikings could be willing to reunite with Cousins for an asking price of $10 million instead of $20 million.

After signing Cousins to the massive contract last season, the Falcons drafted Penix with the eighth overall pick. Ideally, a trade would occur for Cousins following the draft so as not to get blindsided again. Trade partners for the Falcons will also become clearer if teams in the quarterback market target the position.

Cousins, despite a disappointing season overall, showed some flashes of why he was rewarded in free agency with a massive contract.

Cousins threw for 500 yards and four touchdowns on Thursday Night Football. He had two straight games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys, where he combined for seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

If Cousins can get back to playing at a high level, a quarterback-needy team could find a starter for the foreseeable future.

The Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would start the team’s next game against the New York Giants. That news comes in the wake of a four-game losing skid followed by a six-point win over the struggling Raiders in which Kirk Cousins tossed just one touchdown – and nine interceptions.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons this past offseason. With the starting position seemingly filled for the mid-term, it was the shock of the NFL Draft when the team took Penix with the eighth pick.

Penix had a breakout year in the 2023-24 college football season, leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game with 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns. Much concern about the pick, however, stemmed from his age – Penix is now 24 years old – and the injuries that kept him sidelined for the beginning of his college football career.

Now, he’ll start a Week 16 NFL game for a fringe playoff contender.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made the call after the team’s narrow win over the Raiders in which Cousins attempted just 17 passes. Later, speaking to reporters, he cited Cousins’ turnovers – he leads the NFL in both interceptions (16) and fumbles (12, tied with Baker Mayfield).

“It’s pro football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that, unfortunately, I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said, discussing his benching. “And so, it is what it is, and you roll with it and now you still get ready – ‘one play away’ kind of a thing – and support [Penix] and just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three to get in the playoffs, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Morris said that Cousins told him he would be the “best No. 2 quarterback in the National Football League.”

Penix voiced his own excitement to start, but made sure to credit Cousins with his mentorship and leadership of the team. “The way he processes, the way he speaks to the team – in meetings, on the field – you know, just the command he has…I was in the huddle today and walk-throughs, and I just remembered some of the stuff he did and the way he said it, you know, because I – I look up to Kirk.”

The Falcons are 7-7 and in second place in the NFC South, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A hot start has made sure that they’ve stayed on the fringes of the playoff bubble despite their recent struggles.

In Week 16, though, time is running out. All the Falcons can do is cross their fingers and hope that their first-round gamble worked out.

While Bill Belichick looks content with his career in NFL media, he could not help himself from disparaging a team that sent him packing during the off-season.

The Atlanta Falcons set up multiple meetings with Belichick to become their next head coach after firing Arthur Smith. However, they spurned the six-time Super Bowl champion in favor of Raheem Morris, who spent the last few seasons as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator. So, on his weekly Monday night appearance on ESPN’s Manningcast, he could not stop himself from taking a shot at the franchise that the New England Patriots beat in Super Bowl 51.

“I also remember [Falcons owner Arthur] Blank down on the sideline in the fourth quarter celebrating when they were ahead. He’s a pretty good dresser now. Arthur’s always looked sharp, but you know he was down there on the sideline and, you know, we were getting beat, and I’m like ‘Jesus,’ but anyway…”

Of course, Belichick made Blank look foolish as he spent the entire fourth quarter on the sideline watching the first championship in franchise history slip away as the Patriots stole the game in overtime. However, Belichick did not stop there and commented on the tampering violations the NFL found the Falcons guilty of during the off-season.

“[Mooney was] one of those three free agents they signed illegally—Mooney, Woerner, and of course Cousins—that they contacted early, got fined for it, lost a draft choice and all that,” he said.

Reporters around the NFL believe that Belichick wants to coach in the NFL again to break Don Schula’s all-time win record and that 2024 will just be a hiatus for him.

Meanwhile, the Falcons recorded their first win of the season with a last-second, 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles for their first victory of the campaign.

Atlanta has suffered three consecutive 7-10 campaigns, which have caused them to miss the postseason. At one point, 2023 seemed promising, as the Falcons got off to a 2-0 start, propelling them to a 4-3 record after week seven. Atlanta sat at the top of the NFC South at 6-6 following their week 13 win over the Jets.

Struggles caught up, and the Falcons lost four of the last five to fall to third place in the division. Coach Arthur Smith was relieved of his duties following the season’s end. Desmond Ridder started in 13 games, throwing over 3,500 yards while tossing 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Raheem Morris returned for a second stint after being hired as the next head coach. Morris served as the team’s defensive backs coach in 2019 and defensive coordinator in 2020.

Ex-Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins joined the Falcons for four seasons since there was uncertainty at the quarterback position. Cousins is a proven veteran who can help Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson play to their potential. Atlanta made several under-the-radar moves in securing Ray-Ray McCloud III, Charlie Woerner and Darnell Mooney. In addition, the Falcons signed Kevin King and Antonio Hamilton to bolster the defensive backroom.

Despite signing Cousins, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was picked eighth overall in a shocking move. Penix was 2024’s sixth-ranked quarterback and will succeed Cousins after his contract expires. In rounds two and three, Atlanta picked to fill defensive needs; they chose Ruke Orhorhoro and Bralen Trice.

Atlanta has one of the NFL’s manageable schedules. The slate is headlined by teams such as the Eagles, Chiefs, Seahawks, Cowboys and Chargers. Arthur Smith comes back to town in week one, as the Falcons will square off against the Steelers. Cousins will see two familiar stadiums he has played in: U.S. Bank Stadium and Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field). Atlanta will play the Vikings and Commanders in those games.

With a new coach present, Atlanta will likely climb out of mediocrity since they have the offensive talent to win them games.

ATLANTA FALCONS SCHEDULE & TICKETS

The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly signing A.J. Terrell to a four-year, $81 million deal, keeping the star cornerback with the team at a potential turning point. Atlanta has now secured three top defenders in two weeks, cementing its status as a playoff contender this season.

Terrell, who has spent his entire four-year career in Atlanta, will soon be the second-highest paid cornerback in the league, behind the Packers’ Jaire Alexander. After stepping up to challenges early in his career, the young star has gained a reputation as a lockdown corner. Quarterbacks typically avoid him entirely now, but the Falcons have done plenty of work repairing weak links around him ahead of 2024.

Atlanta’s off-season will be best remembered for some radical changes to the offense. Sending away Desmond Ridder, the team signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to lead a young core with legitimate star power, including running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London.

But while the Falcons are shooting up experts’ power rankings because of Cousins’ arrival, the team didn’t stop there. Last week, Atlanta signed safety Justin Simmons and traded for linebacker Matthew Judon, acquiring two veteran defenders with multiple Pro Bowl appearances between them.

The team has also extended 27-year-old safety Jessie Bates III, who made six interceptions in his first season with the team last year. Terrell, Bates and Simmons will all appear in the same secondary this season. Locking down Terrell and uniting him with sharp veterans could radically change Atlanta’s defensive outlook for the better.

Last season, the Falcons’ primary issue was that leadership did not seem capable of handling the team’s young talent. Former head coach Arthur Smith did not give a full workload to Robinson, while Pitts and London were held back by poor quarterback play. The defense was solid but suffered lapses during grinding games.

With head coach Raheem Morris at the helm and Cousins under center, however, it seems like the entire organization has immediately entered win-now mode. A meandering roster now seems capable of taking on anyone in the league, and players like Terrell could factor into very big games for the team for years to come.

Most analysts and fans couldn’t imagine Atlanta taking a quarterback in the first round, let alone a prospect that most mock projections didn’t have as a top-10 pick. But that is what unfolded on the first day of the draft.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from Washington was the surprise of the draft, being taken by the Falcons in the first round. Penix is coming off a prolific season for the Huskies, throwing for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and completing 65.4% of his passes. His team had a surprising postseason run that finished in the national championship, where they fell to the Michigan Wolverines 34-13.

According to ESPN, Cousins was unaware that Atlanta would take a quarterback with the eighth pick. Individuals close to Cousins were frustrated that the front office did not use the high pick to improve other areas on the roster.

New Falcons coach Raheem Morris expressed disappointment with the draft controversy at his post-draft press conference. “I hate for it to be like the story of the draft. I know it will be. That’s just how our world is based and driven,” Morris said. “It’s what people want to see—it’s piqued more interest.”

Although the pick was shocking, considering Cousins is expected to play very well for the team in 2024, there are some concerns about his health. He is coming off a significant injury he sustained in a game with the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 29, a torn Achilles, which ended his season. He also turns 36 in August, so age and recent injury are valid concerns. It could be the reason for the selection of Penix, to ensure that if something were to happen to Cousins again, a viable backup option would be available. 

The Falcons are coming off a 7-10 campaign in which many expected them to win the weak NFC South. With Cousins, wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, and an underrated defense, Atlanta is again expected to take the next step and make the postseason in 2024.

Penix said he had already spoken to Cousins, and both men were moving on from any draft controversies or conspiracies.

“I’m going to keep it just between me and him right now. It was definitely a good conversation,” Penix told reporters on Friday. I’m super excited to work with him, and he said he’s the same with me.”

At his introductory press conference Wednesday evening, new Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said that he was looking for a team on the rise in free agency. He believes that he’s found one. Despite the Falcons’ turbulent 2023 season, improvement at the quarterback position could transform the team from an also-ran into a legitimate contender in the NFC.

“I think in Minnesota it was trending over the last couple offseasons to being somewhat year-to-year,” Cousins said at the press conference. “And as we talked with Atlanta, it felt like this was a place where, if I play at the level I expect to play, that I can retire a Falcon.”

In recent years, the Falcons have developed a reputation for underutilizing young talent. The team drafted running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick last summer, only to place him in a suffocating timeshare with backup Tyler Allgeier. Star tight end Kyle Pitts had a breakout rookie season in 2021 but has since floundered on a stagnant offense. Wide receiver Drake London has struggled alongside him in the last two seasons.

With all this talent squandered thus far, many have split the blame between two parties: former head coach Arthur Smith and a revolving door of quarterbacks that most recently included Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinecke.

Smith was repeatedly accused of using Robinson and Pitts as decoys instead of assets. This led to increased production from the likes of Allgeier and veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, but it simply did not prove effective. Smith went 7-10 in all three of his seasons for Atlanta and was fired earlier this year.

The Falcons’ quarterback issue is more difficult to break down but largely came down to a lack of consistent play. Ridder, the team’s starter since the end of 2022, has been effective on the ground but has not produced enough through the air, ending the 2023 season with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Heinecke, his backup, proved capable for the Commanders in 2022 but did not make a significant impact in his limited playing time in Atlanta.

After three straight seven-win seasons, the Falcons’ front office took dramatic steps to fix both problems in the span of a few weeks. Cousins is a pre-built franchise quarterback on a new four-year, $180 million deal and Raheem Morris has been hired to replace Smith as head coach.

Both men have success elsewhere. Morris has been a coach in the NFL for the better part of two decades and has won two Super Bowls, one as an assistant on the 2002 Buccaneers and another as the Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2021. Morris has also worked for the Falcons previously, rising through the ranks from 2015 to 2020 and briefly serving as interim head coach.

“When I see what he’s done and what he’s been around and the people he’s led and the people who have worked with these people speaking so highly of them, I mean, the evidence was just mounting to show that this is some serious alignment here,” Cousins said of his new head coach.

Cousins may not match Morris in championship success, having none himself, but the quarterback has succeeded in turning two separate teams into playoff contenders in his career. Both Washington and Minnesota improved dramatically with him under center, and in eight seasons as a full-time starter, he has had just two losing seasons and four trips to the postseason.

With Morris and Cousins joining forces on a team that already includes the likes of Robinson, Pitts and London, the Falcons suddenly seem like a machine in the vulnerable NFC South division. In one of the most chaotic free agency periods in NFL history, Atlanta has emerged as a team to watch.