5 takeaways from Falcons GM Ian Cunningham: Playoffs, QBs and a ‘gut punch’

FLOWERY BRANCH — Wearing a gray Falcons quarter-zip over a blue button-down, general manager Ian Cunningham took a seat, a swig of water and, with help from assistant general manager Jeff Scott, spent the next 30 minutes Wednesday morning trying to explain a “really tough” last 72 hours.

There were roster cuts — 37, to be exact, between Saturday morning and Sunday evening — followed by a wave of practice squad signings and a steady churn over the bottom three spots on the roster.

The Falcons won’t make any more major moves. Cunningham said their 53-man roster, by and large, is set. And he likes the shape it’s taken.

“Feel really good with what we’ve come out with, our 53,” Cunningham said, “but also our 16 players on our practice squad, as well.”

Here are five takeaways from Cunningham and Scott’s half-hour news conference.

Quarterback talk: Why Falcons carried four — and still don’t have a starter

The Falcons left roster cutdown day with four quarterbacks, one of only four teams in the NFL to do so. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. were givens, but questions centered around whether Cooper Rush or Jack Strand — or neither — would make the team. Both did.

Cunningham said the Falcons felt there was potential for either Rush or Strand to be picked up by another team, and they didn’t want to risk it. Rush, 31, has started 16 games and proved himself to be a strong backup quarterback. Strand, an undrafted rookie from Minnesota State-Moorhead, impressed with his maturity and collective performance this summer.

Both factors, coupled with the injury-riddled pasts of Tagovailoa and Penix, made the Falcons choose four quarterbacks.

“There’s some injury risk, right, with those guys, trying to protect against that,” Cunningham said. “There’s a little bit of an insurance policy, but also, these guys have been productive during the preseason.”

As for the starting decision, expected to be between Penix and Tagovailoa, Cunningham said the team has “not yet” made its final choice. Penix returned to 11-on-11 practice periods Aug. 24, making this his second week back in full team drills.

“The more reps, the more evaluations we can get, the better,” Cunningham said. “That’s the hand we were dealt. So, the more opportunities that we can to evaluate, the better it is.”

Playoff aspirations

At the start of training camp, Cunningham had the Falcons’ creative team put together an educational video for the coaching staff and front office. He wanted to highlight the history of Atlanta, but also dig deeper into the Falcons’ past. It’s now on them, Cunningham said, to carry the torch forward.

An undeniable piece of the Falcons’ immediate past: eight straight seasons without a postseason bid. Cunningham said the organization’s hope is to change that this year.

“We’re competing to make the playoffs,” Cunningham said. “That’s what we’re doing. That’s why we play, right? You want as many shots on that to allow yourself the opportunity to get into the dance, and once you get in, who knows what may happen? So, we’re going to continue to invest in the roster.

“That’s the main goal. That’s why we do what we’re doing. So, whatever we can do to continue to push us forward, that’s what we’ll do.”

Falcons eyeing fifth-year option decision for Penix

The Falcons have an impressive streak of picking up the fifth-year option of their first-round draft picks. Dating back to the 2013 draft class, the Falcons have used the option on 10 of their 12 first-round selections — all but outside linebacker Takk McKinley (2017) and offensive tackle Kaleb McGary (2019).

Michael Penix Jr., a first rounder in 2024, will be on the clock this spring.

At present time, the Falcons’ new regime has only 12 NFL starts and a wealth of offseason practices to evaluate Penix. Cunningham said it would help their evaluation to see more live action from Penix this fall.

“You don’t want to make a decision if you don’t see somebody (play),” Cunningham said. “But at the end of the day, if you’re in that position where you don’t see a player, you’re going to have to make that decision and we’ll make that decision how we see best for us.”

A ‘gut punch’ waving Zach Harrison; team glad to have him back

Before the Falcons started their offseason program, Cunningham flew to Chicago to visit his family. When he left to head back to Atlanta, defensive end Zach Harrison was on the same return flight. They landed around 6 p.m., and Cunningham went directly to the Falcons’ facility because he still lived in the dorms at the time.

He arrived at 7 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., he went to the gym to work out. Harrison beat him there.

“It shows this is a guy that takes care of his body,” Cunningham said. “He is a pro’s pro. He’s a great dude.”

That only complicated the Falcons’ decision to waive Harrison on Monday night. Still only 25 years old, Harrison tallied 4 ½ sacks in seven games last season before suffering an injury. He’s versatile, and defensive line coach Nate Ollie nicknamed him the “ambassador of strain,” a nod to his motor and work ethic.

Young, position flexible, productive and still on a rookie contract, Harrison made little sense to waive. But the Falcons’ hands were tied. They had the 13th pick on the waiver wire and submitted three claims: offensive tackle Cameron Williams, outside linebacker Jared Ivey and linebacker Yasir Abdullah.

The Falcons had to guess what the other 31 teams would do. They didn’t know if they’d get any of their waiver claims, let alone all three. The results came. They landed Williams, Ivey and Abdullah. Cunningham knew it spelled trouble for Harrison, the odd man out.

“As happy as we were, it was a gut punch, too, personally, just because I knew that Zach was most likely going to be the option,” Cunningham said. “A lot of respect for Zach and what he’s done.”

Cunningham thought there was a chance Harrison would get claimed and go play elsewhere, but he didn’t. The two sides quickly reconciled, and the Falcons announced Wednesday morning they signed the 6-foot-5, 270-pounder to the practice squad.

“Happy to get him back,” Cunningham said. “It gives us some veteran leadership, some veteran guys on practice squad that have been there, done it. And now we know in the event that we need them, they’ll be ready, we can elevate them.”