Cousins or what? A look at the Falcons’ QB options for 2026.
FLOWERY BRANCH — With the season-ending knee injury to quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons are officially back in the quarterback marketplace.
After having reconstructive left knee surgery, Penix is likely to miss all of the offseason and it’s unlikely he’ll be ready to start the 2026 season. The safest move for the Falcons is to retain Kirk Cousins, who is under contract (at $40 million-plus) through the 2027 season, but he turns 38 in August.
This offseason, the Falcons must still address the position and could likely have their fifth different season-opening starting quarterback over the past five seasons following Marcus Mariota (2022), Desmond Ridder (’23), Cousins (’24) and Penix (’25).
Yes, the Falcons are officially on the post-Matt Ryan QB carousel.
Here are some non-Cousins options:
Veteran options: Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston. No really good options here.
Trade options: Kyler Murray, Mac Jones and Stetson Bennett. Jones has revived his career with the 49ers and Bennett has been working in the Rams’ system, which is similar to the Falcons’.
Draft options: The Falcons traded their first-round pick to the Rams in the James Pearce Jr. deal. They’ll have to look at the second-tier group for help. That group includes Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik.
The top tier of quarterbacks includes Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
