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Former NFL running back doesn’t think Kirk Cousins puts Falcons over the top

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 3/12/24

The Falcons didn’t mess around this offseason when it came to the quarterback position, signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guarantees. By doing that, they sent a message to their own team, the fan base, and the rest of the league. The rebuild in Atlanta is over, and it’s time to compete.

It’s not just about NFC South titles anymore. This is a Falcons team, with Kirk Cousins, that should be expected to make some noise in the postseason when they get there as well, but not everybody is a fan of the move. On NFL Network, former star running back Maurice Jones-Drew said it’s still not enough to get this Atlanta team over the hump.

NFL Network’s @MJD (Maurice Jones-Drew) says the Kirk Cousins signing still likely won’t get the #Falcons over the hump.

“He’s a guy that’s gonna win games in the regular season, but they’re gonna get into the playoffs, they’ll play well but they’re just not gonna be good…

— Bryce Lewis (@Bryce_Lewis86) March 11, 2024

I don’t necessarily disagree with Jones-Drew’s sentiment. The Falcons still have some holes, particularly when it comes to their and defense. They’ll attempt to dress those throughout the remainder of free agency and the draft, but nobody is going to look at the Falcons Week 1 and say they have the best roster in the league

However, should that really be the mindset for the Falcons?

This is a franchise that’s been around for nearly 70 years without a Super Bowl, and they’ve only been to two. There aren’t ten Patrick Mahomes in free agency ready to pick up whenever it’s time to compete. The Falcons decided it was time, and they went out and signed the best available free agent quarterback possible, ending their tenure in quarterback purgatory, one of the worst spots to be in the league.

It was a fantastic move by the Falcons in the short-term, and though it’s a four-year contract, essentially only the first two years are guaranteed, so the signing won’t hamstring them in the long-term either. Now, they have a chance to compete for a championship over the next two seasons while they still search for their quarterback of the future.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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