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General manager Terry Fontenot and the Atlanta Falcons have had their most impactful offseason in years so far in 2024, first by signing Kirk Cousins, drafting Michael Penix Jr., and then more recently trading for Matthew Judon and signing Justin Simmons to bolster the defense. While some still have reservations about Fontenot's quarterback navigation this summer, there's no denying that the Falcons are clearly a better team now than they were when the 2023-24 campaign wrapped up.
All of these high profile splashes, combined with the general ineptitude of the NFC when compared to the AFC, have led some to view the Falcons as legitimate contenders to make a Super Bowl run, including former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky on ESPN's First Take. However, one person who isn't on board with those claims is sports media personality Stephen A. Smith, per NFL on ESPN on YouTube.
“How are we going to turn around with a team led by Kirk Cousins–assuming he's in the lineup after his injury–how are we going to assume that they are going to have but so much success, particularly in the postseason?” wondered Smith.
“…Now if we had the discussion that they're going to win the South and they're going to be in the playoffs, alright cool. That division, I mean don't get me started with the NFC South. But that's not what this discussion was about. You're talking about the Atlanta Falcons and you mentioned potential Super Bowl? Don't you have to win a playoff game, which Kirk Cousins has seemed allergic to?”
What is the Falcons' ceiling in 2024?
Indeed, Kirk Cousins doesn't exactly have a great track record when it comes to playoff success, but how much of that can be attributed to the ineptitude of the rosters around him throughout his career is certainly a fair question to be asked.
As Stephen A. Smith alluded to, Cousins is bouncing back from an Achilles injury suffered last year with the Minnesota Vikings, although he is expected to be ready to go when the Falcons take the field to open up the regular season.
The NFC South figures to once again be among the worst divisions in the NFL, and if Atlanta can stay healthy, it's certainly reasonable for fans to expect them to be able to end the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' string of division wins.
In any case, the Falcons are slated to begin the regular season on September 7 vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.
