Last season, the Atlanta Falcons were in prime position to win the NFC South for the first time in years. At one point, they held a four-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the standings. However, a rough stretch caused Atlanta to lose that lead, eventually ending up tied for control of the division.
Now, after evaluating that Kirk Cousins may not be the long-term answer, the Falcons are preparing to hand the reins to Michael Penix Jr.. Penix is seen as a rising star and fits well alongside Atlanta’s younger core. In fact, the team is reportedly exploring options to move on from Cousins.
“Every time a quarterback gets hurt, the Falcons are going to be like, ‘Hello, look at the guy we got,’” Ian Rapoport said. “He suggested that Atlanta could even land a premium draft pick by trading Cousins during the season if a team becomes desperate enough.”
One of the Falcons’ biggest needs this offseason was the defensive line, and they addressed that during the draft. When head coach Raheem Morris was asked about the decision, he gave a passionate response.
“Raheem Morris says he was tired of getting grilled for the lack of a pass rush for the Falcons, and they were intentional about fixing that this offseason,” Will McFadden wrote. “That’s got to change, and the only way to change that is to change that.”
On Wednesday, the NFL released the full schedule for all 32 teams. The Falcons will face the Washington Commanders in Week 4—this time in Atlanta. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson made a bet with a Twitch streamer: if the Falcons beat the Commanders by 20 points, the streamer will become a Falcons fan for the rest of the season.
I love bijans optimism man, he’s a baby goat. pic.twitter.com/VJCKYlOxh7
— ATL Will (@ATLWill_) May 15, 2025
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This shows just how confident Robinson is in his team. It also highlights a sense of payback he’s seeking after last year’s overtime loss to Washington. That defeat effectively cost Atlanta control of its destiny in the division and knocked them out of first place.
This time, Robinson doesn’t just want the Falcons to win—he wants them to make Washington pay.