Falcons Team Notes

[Atlanta Falcons]

Check out what's going on with your Atlanta Falcons.

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons make surprising pick in PFF's new 2025 NFL mock draft

The Atlanta Falcons have several needs to fill during the 2025 NFL offseason but most of them are on defense. While many expect the team to target an edge rusher or cornerback early in the draft, Atlanta has yet to take a defensive player in the first round under general manager Terry Fontenot.

That could change in 2025 since the Falcons have multiple defensive free agents, including Matthew Judon, Justin Simmons and Mike Hughes. The team can’t afford to re-sign everyone unless Fontenot pulls out some last-second salary cap magic.

Atlanta will likely add some defensive talent, but the team has rarely done what those around the NFL have expected in the draft. Would the Falcons ignore their defense again in favor of another offensive playmaker?

That’s what the team does in Pro Football Focus’ new mock draft. PFF’s Mason Cameron has the team selecting Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden with the No. 15 overall pick:

With Michael Penix Jr. set to take over as the starter in 2025, surrounding him with more offensive firepower would be a smart way to set him up for early success. Luther Burden is a natural playmaker out of the slot, excelling with the ball in his hands. Over the past two seasons, he has ranked in the 87th percentile in yards after catch per reception, showcasing his dynamic ability in the open field. Pairing Burden with Darnell Mooney and Drake London, who is coming off his best season as a pro, would give Penix one of the most talented receiving corps in the NFL. — Mason Cameron, PFF

Not only do the Falcons have two capable wideouts in Drake London and Darnell Mooney, but they have a running back in Bijan Robinson who excels at catching the football out of the backfield.

London went over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career while Mooney finished with 991 yards despite sitting out the season finale. Tight end Kyle Pitts had a quiet year, though, and some believe Atlanta will trade the former No. 4 overall pick during the offseason.

Burden is the 10th-ranked player on PFF’s 2025 big board. The 5-foot-11 wideout finished his final season at Missouri with 61 catches for 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

More Latest Falcons News!​

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Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/08/falcons-2025-nfl-mock-draft-luther-burden/

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Bijan Robinson on Falcons' expectations in 2025, Michael Penix Jr.

After a promising 6-3 start, the Atlanta Falcons went 2-6 over their final eight games last season and blew a chance at winning the NFC South for the first time since 2016.

Offensively, the team is in good shape with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leading a talented group of playmakers, including running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London.

Robinson is fresh off his first Pro Bowl appearance and making the rounds ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The former No. 8 overall pick was asked how close the team is to taking control of the division.

“Yeah man, I think we’re close,” said Robinson. “Obviously, you want the best outcome in your season, but for us, I think the thing that we’ve got to get good at is taking everything one week, one game at a time — one day at a time.”

.@Bijan5Robinson believes the @AtlantaFalcons have the tools to be top competitors in the NFC South as we look into the 2025 season.

: #NFLHonors – Tonight 9pm ET on FOX

: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3Hh9vSyZI5

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 6, 2025

Robinson was also asked about Penix taking over at quarterback and the challenges ahead.

“For Mike, understanding that he’s now the starting quarterback for our team and for him coming into his second year, this will be really important for this offseason for him to just get comfortable with everybody,” said Robinson. “To find everybody’s rhythms, to find his own rhythm. Obviously, we’re going to help him out a lot.”

Robinson saw how quickly the Falcons went from NFC South favorites to missing the playoffs last season and wants to take it one day at a time.

“The goal is obviously to win the [NFC] South but for us, like we wanna just take it one game at a time and focus on what we have to do at hand instead of like looking into the future and seeing what we want to become instead of what we’re focusing on now.”

Last season, Robinson finished third in the NFL with 1,456 rushing yards while scoring 15 total touchdowns (14 rushing).

More Latest Falcons News!​

Falcons make surprising pick in PFF's new 2025 NFL mock draft​

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was mic'd up at 2025 Pro Bowl Games​

NFL experts propose trade sending Kyle Pitts to AFC East team​

What are the Falcons' odds of trading for Browns DE Myles Garrett?​

Falcons rookie QB weighs in on Kyle Pitts situation​

Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/07/bijan-robinson-falcons-michael-penix/

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Kirk Cousins reveals more injury details from 2024 season

The 2024 season was arguably the worst of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ 13-year NFL career. Coming off an Achilles injury that prematurely ended his 2023 campaign, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the quarterback-needy Falcons in free agency.

Early in the season, the 36-year-old still appeared to be feeling the effects of his Achilles injury. Cousins lacked mobility for the first few games but turned things around with a dominant stretch in October.

Right when the team was hitting its stride, the veteran signal-caller began the worst four-game stretch of his NFL career. Many around the league openly wondered if Cousins was playing hurt and his recent comments added more fuel to the fire.

Cousins discussed the challenges of playing through ankle, shoulder and elbow injuries during the 2024 season in a new feature from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

“The challenge I had was — and it sounds strange to say — it was like the rest of my ankle still needed to figure out how to be an ankle again,” said Cousins. “And that’s what I was working through, especially early in the season.”

The Falcons QB refused to say his ankle was bothering him throughout the year but his comments and play on the field suggest otherwise. Cousins went on to discuss the shoulder and elbow injuries he suffered from a brutal Week 10 hit against the New Orleans Saints.

“But then I took a hit against the Saints in Week 10 that messed with my shoulder and elbow,” added Cousins. “So now, I had the right ankle, the shoulder, the elbow — there was a lot I was working through. That was hard.”

The Falcons’ four-game losing streak began in Week 10 with a loss to the underdog Saints. Head coach Raheem Morris was forced to bench his $180 million quarterback after the team barely escaped Las Vegas with a win over the Desmond Ridder-led Raiders.

Penix took over in Week 16 and led the team to a decisive win over the New York Giants. However, Atlanta’s defense crumbled over the final two weeks of the season and the team missed the playoffs for a seventh year in a row.

Perhaps with more clarity (and transparency) at the quarterback position, the Falcons can break the streak in 2025.

More Latest Falcons News!​

Falcons miss out on Michael Penix Jr. in 2024 NFL re-draft​

Falcons make surprising pick in PFF's new 2025 NFL mock draft​

Bijan Robinson on Falcons' expectations in 2025, Michael Penix Jr.​

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was mic'd up at 2025 Pro Bowl Games​

NFL experts propose trade sending Kyle Pitts to AFC East team​

Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/10/falcons-kirk-cousins-injury-news-2024/

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons miss out on Michael Penix Jr. in 2024 NFL re-draft

When the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, many around the league were highly critical of the pick. While Penix was projected to go somewhere in the first round, Atlanta wasn’t on anyone’s radar as a landing spot.

It’s been less than a year since the Falcons drafted the former Washington Huskies QB and the criticism has mostly turned to optimism. Penix played well enough over the final three games of the year to justify being the No. 8 overall pick.

Despite a strong year from this year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks, there’s a good chance that Penix would go even higher if the 2024 NFL draft were to be held today.

In NFL.com’s 2024 re-draft, the Falcons rookie didn’t even make it out of the top five. Instead, the New York Giants moved up to pick No. 5 to snag Penix out from under Atlanta:

The Giants use their mulligan to trade up one spot for Michael Penix Jr., securing their franchise QB and overwriting the disastrous Daniel Jones/Drew Lock/Tommy DeVito/Tim Boyle debacle of 2024. Giving up Malik Nabers is certainly not ideal, and we did consider a scenario where New York kept the elite WR and then targeted its new franchise passer with the third overall pick in the 2025 draft. — NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri & Tom Blair

With Kirk Cousins’ sudden decline putting his future with the team in doubt, Penix gives the Falcons stability at the game’s most important position. However, Atlanta still made out okay in NFL.com’s 2024 re-draft.

At pick No. 8, the Falcons land a dominant defender in Jared Verse. The Florida State edge rusher was just awarded the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year following a stellar rookie season for the Los Angeles Rams:

The Falcons would surely love to re-draft Penix — their original pick, whose selection would seem a lot less unorthodox now that we know he ended up taking the QB reins from Kirk Cousins during the season — but the promising youngster is gone. So Atlanta jumps on Jared Verse, whose Pro Bowl efforts helped the Rams do what the Falcons could not: climb out of the NFC’s middle class and reach the postseason. — NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri & Tom Blair

Hindsight is 20/20, but the Falcons have to feel vindicated after so many criticized their decision to double up at the quarterback position. Cousins may have been an expensive mistake, however, Penix’s promise makes it easier to digest.

The Falcons will likely attempt to upgrade their defense in the 2025 NFL draft, assuming they don’t take a wide receiver in Round 1.

More Latest Falcons News!​

Kirk Cousins reveals more injury details from 2024 season​

Falcons make surprising pick in PFF's new 2025 NFL mock draft​

Bijan Robinson on Falcons' expectations in 2025, Michael Penix Jr.​

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was mic'd up at 2025 Pro Bowl Games​

NFL experts propose trade sending Kyle Pitts to AFC East team​

Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/10/falcons-michael-penix-jared-verse-2024-nfl-redraft/

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Atlanta Falcons make changes to offensive coaching staff

The Atlanta Falcons made a few changes to their offensive coaching staff on Thursday, elevating quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates to passing game coordinator and promoting assistant QB coach D.J. Williams to Yates’ former position.

The decision to promote Yates and Williams is warranted after their work with Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. last season. The former first-round pick played extremely well in his first three NFL starts and appears to be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback.

The #Falcons have promoted QB coach TJ Yates to pass game coordinator, per the team. DJ Williams, the former offensive assistant and assistant QB coach, is now the QB coach.

Yates played quarterback for seven years in the NFL and won a playoff game with Houston. Williams was the…

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) February 13, 2025

Penix passed for 775 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions and a rushing touchdown last season. More than anything, he passed the eye test with flying colors.

The rookie got the ball out quickly, didn’t take many sacks and flashed the impressive arm talent that the team fell in love with during the 2024 offseason.

Atlanta’s offense was explosive under first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. If not for the team’s defensive collapse down the stretch, the Falcons likely would have made the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The team finished top 10 in both passing yards (fifth) and rushing yards (10th) last season. The Falcons averaged 22.9 points per game, which ranked 13th in the NFL.

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Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/13/falcons-tj-yates-michael-penix-coaching-news/

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Where did the Falcons QBs land in CBS Sports' rankings?

59 different quarterbacks started an NFL game in 2024. The Atlanta Falcons were one of the many teams to play multiple quarterbacks, with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. each starting games last season.

Cousins, who went into the season as the uncontested starter, was fairly cemented into his role for a vast majority of the campaign. The veteran QB led the team to a 7-7 record in 14 starts. However, he went 1-4 in his final five starts after going 5-1 in the previous six games.

His final start, a 15-9 win over the Raiders in Week 15, felt like a loss given how poorly he played. Cousins’ poor run of games landed him at No. 25 in CBS Sports’ quarterback rankings.

“Cousins was uncharacteristically streaky, sandwiching lifeless duds between monster prime-time spots,” said CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.

Fans likely won’t have to think twice about Cousins next year as Penix enters the 2025 season as the team’s unquestioned starter. The rookie only started three games last season but played well enough to give the fan base hope for the future.

While it may be true that the offense looked better with Penix under center, his lack of playing time pins him in the back half of CBS Sports’ rankings. Penix was ranked 36th overall.

“His touch and willingness to send the ball downfield at least made Atlanta more of an intriguing watch by season’s end,” stated Benjamin.

However, the rookie needs to improve his completion percentage in Year 2. Penix completed just 58.1 percent of his passes last season.

Other factors come into play with these numbers, but his accuracy is an area where he could improve in 2025. Overall, there’s a ton to like about the young quarterback.

“I’ve got so much confidence in Michael Penix leading us into the future and I believe our whole building does and I believe our fan base does and I believe our owner does,” head coach Raheem Morris said about Penix at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

More Latest Falcons News!​

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Falcons GM, head coach to speak at scouting combine on Tuesday​

Ex-Falcons defensive coordinator takes job with Buffalo Bills​

Source: https://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/25/falcons-michael-penix-kirk-cousins-cbs/