Kevin Stefanski comments on Falcons quarterback situation

The biggest question the Falcons’ new regime must answer this offseason revolves around the quarterback position.

Michael Penix Jr. said earlier this week that he expects to be ready for Week 1, but it’s far too early to lock that in. And even if he is ready, there’s no guarantee Matt Ryan, Kevin Stefanski, and whoever is hired as the next general manager are fully sold on the former No. 8 overall pick. They had no role in drafting Penix, and while Ryan and Stefanski have said all the right things publicly, they’ve yet to sit down and explore every option available to them this offseason.

“I think we have to hire a general manager first, before I can give you a great answer there,” Stefanski said. “Once we do that I’ll sit with the general manager, sit with Matt Ryan, we’ll put our heads together on all roster decisions.”

The only thing we really know right now is that Michael Penix Jr. will be involved in the conversation, with the hope being that Kevin Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees can do a better job than the previous regime at accentuating his strengths.

“Michael is a young player that I think very highly of, he is rehabbing off his injury, he’s doing great, he’s doing everything he’s supposed to be doing right now, which is the number one thing for him, is to get healthy,” Stefanski said. “He’s obviously played good football in his first two seasons. I’m excited to have the ability to develop him.”

The bigger unknown is who will be in the quarterback room alongside Penix competing with him. The first name that comes to mind is Kirk Cousins, who has a relationship with Stefanski dating back to their days in Minnesota.

“Kirk, obviously, a relationship there, he’s somebody that I think very highly of on and off the field. But all those types of decisions will come after we have a general manager,” Stefanski said.

That relationship certainly makes a Cousins return more plausible than it was before, but it’s still an incredibly complicated situation, and one where it’s probably best for all parties to move on.

The Falcons and Cousins agreed to a restructured contract that essentially guarantees the veteran quarterback will hit free agency. That gives him the freedom to survey the market and choose his next destination. Cousins has made it abundantly clear he still views himself as a starting quarterback, and there are likely a handful of teams that agree. In Atlanta, he’d be guaranteed nothing. In fact, he’d essentially be re-signing to serve as a backup to Michael Penix Jr. once Penix is healthy.

That’s not a scenario Cousins is likely to embrace. Unless his options completely dry up, a reunion with the Falcons feels unlikely. Of course, things can change. If Penix were to suffer a setback during the offseason, prioritizing a quarterback like Cousins could suddenly become necessary.

For now, though, the idea of Cousins returning to Atlanta feels far-fetched.