Falcons Owner Made Intriguing Comments on Kirk Cousins, QB Situation

Owner Arthur Blank addressed the team’s quarterbacks and several other topics on Thursday.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank addressed Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.’s futures with the team. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Falcons are making changes this offseason, starting with firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot earlier this week.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank addressed the media on Thursday and several offseason decisions, from the choice to fire Morris and Fontenot, interviewing Matt Ryan for the president of football position to their quarterbacks, Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins.

"We look forward to having Michael back,” Blank told reporters. “He’s had a good surgery. I spoke with the with the medical staff, seems to have gone well. Kirk, we’ll see what’ll happen with him moving forward."

LIVE: Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank speaks to the media at today's end-of-season press conference https://t.co/vVeOoILXJb

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Blank also said, “I do think Michael is our franchise quarterback. The injury he sustained was on his other knee. The surgeon felt 1,000% secure in the medical procedure they went through. They felt his knee would be better than before. He’s on a successful rehab program.”

Blank’s comments on Cousins come after the organization reworked his contract earlier this week, creating more cap flexibility for the Falcons as well as avenues for Atlanta to move on from the 37-year-old if they so choose. Cousins said earlier this week that he’d “love to be back here,” but it appears his future in Atlanta is very much up in the air.

Meanwhile, Blank’s vote of confidence in Penix and his rehabilitation progress is important for a quarterback that has a significant injury history and had a shaky start to his NFL career. Penix hasn’t started a full season’s worth of games yet and has plenty of room to develop, making the Falcons’ next coaching hire all the more important as they look to make the postseason for the first time since 2017 with him at the helm.

So far, the Falcons have requested interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski for their coaching vacancy. Blank also expressed that the Falcons would be interested in speaking with John Harbaugh.

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