The Atlanta Falcons fell short of expectations in 2024 but still showed a ton of promise. General manager Terry Fontenot addressed the media on Thursday as the team prepares for what’s likely to be a busy offseason.
Kirk Cousins’ future and the decision to bench him for first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. were among the topics touched on by Fontenot.
“We gave Kirk Cousins two years guaranteed,” said Fontenot. “When you do that, you expect to get high-level quarterback play for two seasons. We understand that that didn’t happen. Nobody was happy to make the switch at that time.”
The Falcons general manager said the team would be comfortable keeping Cousins around as a backup.
“We’re more than comfortable moving ahead with him as the backup. He’s handled himself extremely well through the entire process.”
More than anything, Fontenot expressed his disappointment in how the season turned out.
“Most importantly, we’re disappointed for our fans,” said Fontenot. “We know all the support that they give us. We know you deserve better. It’s our job to get right into this offseason process and look at every aspect of everything that affects football and make sure we’re doing everything we can do this offseason to put us in the position next year to win more football games.”
Fontenot also discussed the team’s first-round draft pick and Kyle Pitts‘ underwhelming season. Check out his full Thursday press conference HERE.
The 2025 league year begins on March 12 and the 2025 NFL draft kicks off on Thursday, April 24.
