Klint Kubiak To Become Raiders’ HC
FEBRUARY 8: With Super Bowl LX behind him and the job done, Kubiak has confirmed that he will be the next head coach of the Raiders, per Stacey Dales of NFL Network. Las Vegas will be welcoming the Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator to potentially serve as head coach over the presumed No. 1 draft pick, Mendoza, for the 2026 NFL season.
FEBRUARY 1: A recent report pegged Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as the favorite for the Raiders’ head coaching vacancy. While no agreement was immediately struck upon the completion of Kubiak’s second interview with Las Vegas brass — nothing can be finalized until after Super Bowl LX — the club is “zeroing in” on Kubiak, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Pelissero’s NFL Network colleague, Ian Rapoport, says the Raiders believe they have their guy. 
More importantly, Kubiak himself intends to work out a deal with Las Vegas, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Kubiak, who also took a second interview for the Cardinals’ HC post on Saturday, was one of the most popular candidates in this year’s cycle. In all, he interviewed with seven of the 10 clubs in need of a head coach.
Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was among the candidates who interviewed twice with the Raiders. According to The Athletic’s Joe Person, Evero was still in contention to be hired during the time when Kubiak was weighing his options.
Las Vegas’ opening was not seen as particularly desirable. The club just finished a 3-14 season, does not have a particularly inspiring roster outside of a couple of high-end players, and plays in a difficult AFC West. However, the Raiders do have two things going for them: the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, and the second-most projected cap space in the league (just shy of $90MM, per OverTheCap.com).
With that No. 1 overall pick, the expectation is that the Raiders will select reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who quarterbacked Indiana to a 16-0 season and a CFP National Championship in 2025. Mendoza is easily the best passer in his class, and Las Vegas was said to be seeking an offensive-minded HC to pair with their presumptive top draft choice.
With Kubiak, the team has exactly that. The 38-year-old’s stock has risen sharply in recent years, including three different offensive coordinator stints. Each of Kubiak’s tenures with the Vikings, Saints and Seahawks have proven to be just one year in length, but they have elevated his status as one of the league’s most highly regarded offensive minds. Kubiak’s NFL resume also includes pass-game coordinator duties with the Broncos (2022) and 49ers (2023).
A coach in various capacities dating back to 2010, Kubiak has never led a college or pro staff before. He represents an unknown as a result, but that is also true of many other first-time head coaches hired during the 2026 cycle. The Raiders will aim for stability on the sidelines with this hire, something which has been sorely lacking during the franchise’s Vegas period. Changes on the coaching staff and in the front office have been commonplace in recent years.
A housecleaning took place last offseason with head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco each being dismissed after only one full season in their respective roles. The Raiders brought in John Spytek as GM, making him part of a front office influenced in large part by minority owner Tom Brady. Together, they played a key role in hiring Pete Carroll as head coach.
Expectations were high for at least modest success in 2025, with Carroll and a reunion with quarterback Geno Smith seeming to provide a strong floor for the Raiders. Not much (if anything) went according to plan, however, with Carroll firing two of his coordinators in the middle of the campaign. No observers were surprised when Carroll himself was dismissed one day after the season ended. That began a lengthy search, one which has now landed on Kubiak. Brady and Kubiak “hit it off” during the interview process, Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler adds.
The Seahawks thrived with Kubiak and new quarterback Sam Darnold in place for 2025. Seattle earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC before winning two straight home games to reach next week’s Super Bowl. A strong defense has contributed greatly to their shared success over the course of the season, but Darnold was highly productive in the NFC title game (321 yards, three touchdowns, no giveaways). It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks fare next season with another new OC in place, the third since Mike Macdonald took over as head coach.
Provided the Kubiak agreement will become finalized after the Super Bowl, the Cardinals loom as the only NFL team with a head coaching vacancy. Kubiak’s decision to join the Raiders will thin Arizona’s list of final candidates even further.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bengals Could Tag DE Trey Hendrickson
When after months (technically years) of drama over Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson‘s contract situation ended with a one-year agreement, it seemed the saga would finally end with Hendrickson hitting free agency at the conclusion of the season. The situation refuses to die, though, as Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (via colleague Ian Rapoport) that the Bengals are considering using this year’s franchise tag on Hendrickson. 
After a quiet start to his career as a third-round pick in New Orleans, a breakout, 13.5-sack season in a contract year led to Hendrickson signing with the Bengals on a four-year, $60MM deal. Hendrickson has remained one of the league’s top pass rushers ever since, though injuries slowed him a bit in 2022 and 2025. The Bengals had been notorious for establishing a young culture by never being the team to sign players to their third contracts. They kind of broke that tradition by agreeing to extend Hendrickson’s deal (by only a year) as a way to adjust his compensation to better match his production. The extension allowed the team to lower Hendrickson’s salary cap impact while increasing his earnings over the last years of his deal.
Not satisfied with the Bengals’ short-term commitment, and after posting a career-high 17.5 sacks in 2023, the veteran defender turned his eyes towards another new contract. After discussing the possibility of another extension and walking away without an agreement, Hendrickson officially requested a trade. Cincinnati called his bluff, refusing to deal him, and when he decided to attend voluntary workouts, the Bengals turned their eyes to the eventual discussions that were sure to take place in the following offseason.
Initially, the Bengals made it seem as if they were open to extending the star pass rusher, who had just delivered a second straight 17.5-sack campaign, but only days later, they also started to convey an openness to trading him, eventually granting him permission to seek a trade. The Bengals and Hendrickson continued to negotiate a possible extension while several teams made offers, yet the Bengals consistently seemed to believe the trade offers did not offer enough value for Hendrickson while simultaneously arguing that Hendrickson was seeking too much value in a contract extension.
Eventually, talks in both directions seemed to stall, and Hendrickson threatened to hold out, even into the regular season. The Bengals stood pat, and as training camp began, Hendrickson showed he was serious this time. After having skipped minicamps earlier in the offseason, he officially began his training camp holdout. The drama continued with extension talks stalling and trade talks arising and the cycle repeating with no solutions. Ultimately, the team landed on the altered, one-year deal he played on this year, but it seemed bridges had been burned in the process and eventual free agency was all but guaranteed.
This latest update seems to totally blow up those conclusions. Instead of allowing Hendrickson to depart from what has been a contentious situation and test the open market, it appears Cincinnati is interested in potentially squeezing a bit more benefit out of Hendrickson. Just a week and a half ago, it was reported that, with a franchise tag likely to cost more than $30MM, the Bengals weren’t expected to go that route, but Garafolo suggests the plan could be setting up for a tag-and-trade.
Though trade talks have continuously fallen through as Cincinnati seeks more value than has been offered, there’s apparently a chance they could be going for that route, again. If so, they would likely be tagging Hendrickson under the assumption that he has no interest in signing it to play in Cincinnati again. They would then be selling teams the option of trading for Hendrickson knowing that he would either come with a fully guaranteed $30+MM deal or come with an expectation of a new contract. Either way, Hendrickson would get a chance at a new contract, but in this scenario, the Bengals would be choosing where he goes and would be getting something in return for losing him. The only power Hendrickson would hold would be that he would need to sign the tag to complete the trade.
The much less likely strategy for Cincinnati would be that they intend to either convince Hendrickson to sign and play on the tag or negotiate for another extension. Seeing how well those conversations have gone in the past, it seems unlikely that the team is attempting to extend Hendrickson’s time as a Bengal. We won’t know for several weeks, until free agency begins in March, but it seems this situation won’t get a clean conclusion just yet.
NFL Coaching Updates: Steelers, Slowik, Falcons, Ravens, Cowboys
Mike McCarthy‘s new coaching staff in Pittsburgh continues to fill out as a couple more expected hires were reported this week. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You is expected to head to the NFL for the same job with the Steelers, while Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS relayed the expectations that Derius Swinton II would be hired as senior special teams assistant.
A former NFL defensive end who appeared in 33 games with the Rams, Ah You turned to coaching following the end of his playing career. Apart from a brief stint in the XFL, Ah You has only coached at the collegiate level. He started as a special teams quality control coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma, before heading to a defensive line coaching job at Vanderbilt. Following his XFL gig, Ah You spent a year as a QC analyst at USC before landing in Lubbock in 2022. The Red Raiders finished the 2025 season with the sixth-most sacks in the country, and top pass rushers David Bailey and Romello Height made strong cases to be Day 1 picks.
Swinton heads to Pittsburgh after a three-year stint in Las Vegas, where he weathered the turnover of three different head coaches. Swinton has twice served single-season tenures as a special teams coordinator and was named to the interim role in Vegas last year after Tom McMahon‘s exit. He won’t be asked to fill the role of coordinator in Pittsburgh, but his experience after having worked in nine different NFL systems could be valuable to the Steelers in 2026.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFL:
- Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Jets are expected to hire Ryan Slowik to the position of safeties coach. Having coached on and off in the NFL since 2005, Slowik has only held position coaching roles in five seasons. He served as outside linebackers coach of the Cardinals in 2012, held the same position in Cleveland in 2016, and was named to the same role with the Dolphins in 2023 before moving the defensive backs coach/pass game specialist for the past two seasons in Miami. As second year head coach Aaron Glenn continues to rework his coaching staff, he’ll trust his secondary to Slowik and defensive backs coach Chris Harris.
- Zenitz of CBS Sports also reported yesterday that the Ravens are hiring Patrick Kramer to a role on their offensive staff. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec clarified that Kramer’s role will be as a quality control coach. Zrebiec also reported that Rick Minter, the father of the team’s new head coach, will also join Baltimore’s staff after serving as a defensive consultant for the Chargers. Joining both Minters in the move, per Zrebiec, will be Christina DeRuyter. She worked in Los Angeles last year as the team’s director of football logistics.
- The Falcons announced that they have hired Matt Jones to the position of assistant offensive line coach. Jones comes over from Tennessee, where he started as an assistant offensive line coach in 2023 before moving to offensive assistant for the past two years. Jones will work under new offensive line coach Bill Callahan who retained Jones on the Titans’ staff when he became the team’s head coach.
- Lastly, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Cowboys have hired Robert Muschamp as a defensive quality control coach. The nephew of Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the younger Muschamp worked most recently as a defensive quality control coach with the Chargers, specifically working with outside linebackers.
Aaron Rodgers’ Return To Steelers Gaining Momentum
With former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy finding his way to Pittsburgh (after a five-year layover in Dallas), there’s been speculation that former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who found his way to Pittsburgh a year earlier, could have a new motivation to return to the team in 2026. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (via colleague Ian Rapoport), that could be the case as Rodgers appears to be seriously considering sticking with the Steelers for his 22nd season of NFL play. 
Entering the season, many, including Rodgers, had some idea that 2025 would be a swan song for the league’s oldest active player, who is now older than eight active head coaches. As the regular season was coming to a close and Rodgers was on his way back to the playoffs for the first time in four years, the 42-year-old let it be known that he wasn’t married to the idea of retiring.
Immediately following the team’s postseason exit, there seemed to be mutual interest in Rodgers coming back on a new deal in 2026, but things changed when longtime head coach Mike Tomlin decided to step away. While Pittsburgh continued to support the idea of Rodgers returning for another year, the odds of Rodgers returning without Tomlin didn’t look great. The Steelers made a move, though, and it may have been the only move that could’ve aided a Rodgers return under a new head coach.
Though, they likely didn’t choose him with this end in mind, the hiring of McCarthy, Rodgers’ former head coach in Green Bay, to replace Tomlin as head coach may end up being a crucial key in retaining Rodgers. Steelers owner Art Rooney told media the door was still open to Rodgers, McCarthy expressed his desire for a reunion with his former quarterback, and top receiver D.K. Metcalf has even been in touch with Rodgers, trying to move the needle on coming back for another run. Pelissero reports that Rodgers has had several conversations with McCarthy since his arrival, and odds are increasing that a reunion will take place.
This “will he, won’t he” won’t last nearly as long as last year, when Rodgers didn’t choose a team until June. While they won’t pressure the veteran quarterback to make a decision, everyone is hoping that he will come to a decision before the start of free agency in mid-March. In the next month or so, we should have a better idea of whether or not we’ll see Rodgers return for his age-43 season in a reunion with McCarthy.
49ers Expected To Receive Trade Calls On QB Mac Jones
Last offseason, the 49ers added Mac Jones on a two-year contract. That proved to be a worthwhile investment given the former first-rounder’s level of play when filling in for an injured Brock Purdy. 
Jones looms as a potential trade target given the dearth of other veteran passers in position to reach the market. However, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently made clear the team’s intention of keeping Jones in place for 2026. Cost-controlled passers are nevertheless a highly valuable commodity, and trade calls can be expected.
“Multiple” teams plan to at least reach out to the 49ers about a Jones trade, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (video link). That would come as no surprise. The former Patriots first-rounder won five of his eight starts in 2025, setting new career highs in completion percentage (69.6%) and yards per attempt (7.4) along the way. Much of that has been attributed to Shanahan’s scheme, but a trade aimed at giving Jones another opportunity to operate as a full-time starter would naturally be compelling for any number of teams.
A high asking price would be required for San Francisco’s stance to budge. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, it remains the team’s plan to keep both Purdy and Jones for 2026. The 49ers made a massive investment in Purdy last offseason, inking him to a pact averaging $53MM per season. An affordable QB2 will of course be key throughout the life of that extension. Jones, 27, is due $3.25MM for 2026 as things stands; that includes a base salary ($1.4MM) which would be highly attractive to quarterback-needy teams.
Per Pelissero, Jones and his camp could push for a “contractual adjustment” in the event a strong trade market develops but the 49ers elect to keep him. At least a moderate raise could be in store based on the Alabama product’s level of play in 2025. San Francisco has a history of agreeing to top-ups for several players with Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in place. It will be interesting to see if the list on that front grows relatively soon.
Especially if Daniel Jones remains in Indianapolis, the free agent market will not offer much in the way of starting-caliber passers. The 2026 draft, meanwhile, only includes one quarterback (Fernando Mendoza) seen as a first-round lock. That could drive up the asking price for trade chips like Jones, but it remains to be seen if the 49ers will be convinced to seriously entertain any offers.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans Could Continue Playing In 2026
The 2026 offseason will once again include questions about the future of Mike Evans. The Buccaneers icon is a pending free agent, and it remains to be seen if his career will continue. 
Nothing has officially be decided on that front yet. Nevertheless, Sunday has brought about an update of sorts on Evans’ future. Agent Deryk Gilmore indicated to Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that a 13th NFL season may be in store in this case.
“Mike started the season in great shape,” a statement from Gilmore reads in part. “Most people in the organization said he probably had the best camp of everyone. He finished feeling better than he has in several seasons. I think his competitive nature leads to more football. That is my hope.”
Evans came close to reaching the open market in 2024, but he wound up inking a two-year, $41MM pact. That deal is now set to void on the final day of the 2025 league year. With no extension having been worked out over the course of the past season, it is once again unclear how this situation will play out. Evans, 32, said in September he would contemplate retirement after the 2025 season.
Things certainly did not go as he or the Bucs would have hoped. Various injuries – including a broken clavicle – limited Evans to just eight games. As a result, the six-time Pro Bowler was held under 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his career. That will no doubt deal a blow to Evans’ market value, but a new Tampa Bay deal would of course offer a boost to the team’s receiving core.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers already have Chris Godwin on the books through 2027. He, along with Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Emeka Egbuka and 2024 third-rounder Jalen McMillan could operate as an effective WR trio moving forward. Evans has a Super Bowl title and nearly $155MM in career earnings to his name. Adding to his decorated career will be possible if he elects to continue playing, although a firm commitment on his part will remain something to watch for as free agency approaches.
Colts To Begin Daniel Jones Negotiations Soon; Franchise Tag Possible
It has long been known a mutual desire exists between the Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones to finalize a contract for 2026 and beyond. Work on attaining that goal should begin shortly. 
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (video link) talks on a long-term deal are expected to open in the near future. Jones’ debut Indianapolis campaign started off extremely well, and his Achilles tear proved to be highly costly. Since then, a full recovery has been projected in time for the 2026 campaign.
The Colts’ QB plan this spring will of course hinge largely on their ability to retain Jones. The former Giants first-rounder hopes to remain in Indianapolis. A high-profile trip to the open market looms at this point, but it would come as a major surprise if that were to become possible. As Pelissero notes, the franchise tag is an option to guarantee at least a second Colts season for Jones. The 2026 tag for quarterbacks is projected to cost roughly $47MM.
That figure would represent a massive raise compared to the one-year pact Jones signed to join the Colts last March. The 28-year-old secured $14MM in base pay, with nearly all of that figure guaranteed. A franchise tag would also carry fully locked-in compensation, and using it would buy the Colts extended time to continue negotiating an extension.
Both sides will look to avoid such a situation; players always prefer a multiyear commitment to the tag, while teams aim to avoid the cap charges brought on by the one-year tender. The progress of negotiations over the coming days will thus be something to watch closely. Indianapolis is currently mid-pack in terms of projected cap space for next season, but the team has a number of pending free agent decisions to make. The top priority, to no surprise, appears to be sorting out the quarterback position.
Since Andrew Luck‘s retirement, the Colts have struggled to find a long-term solution under center. Former No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson has not lived up to expectations since arriving in the NFL, and his future in with Indianapolis is unclear. Without a successor in place, the team would be forced to explore a weak free agent market and/or a draft class which is not held in high regard to replace Jones. If all goes well in the near future, finding a new starting quarterback will not prove necessary.
Falcons OLB James Pearce Jr. Arrested
FEBRUARY 8: Pearce is currently being held on a $20,500 bond, as noted by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. He has been assigned to the felony domestic crimes intake unit. A pre-trial conditional stay-away order has also been issued to prevent Pearce from having any contact with Jackson.
FEBRUARY 7: Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested on Saturday in Doral, Florida and booked in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. 
Booking records indicate Pearce faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He has also been charged with one count each of aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren. According to Pablo Hernandez of WPLG Local 10 News, Pearce was arrested after crashing his car while fleeing police.
Doral Police was dispatched to a dispute involving one man and one woman. Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez stated the woman in question was WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Jackson, 24, was selected in the first round of the league’s 2024 draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Pearce is alleged to have fled the scene prior to ultimately crashing and being detained.
Andy Slater of Fox Sports South Florida reports Pearce is accused of intentionally crashing his Lamborghini into Jackson’s car to prevent her from reaching a police station. It was that incident, he adds, which led to the Pearce police chase.
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami,” a team statement reads (h/t Josh Kendall of The Athletic). “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
The Falcons made a concerted effort to boost their pass rush during the opening round of the 2025 draft. After selecting Jalon Walker 15th overall, Atlanta traded back into the Day 1 order and added Pearce with pick No. 26. The arrival of both players proved highly impactful in upgrading the Falcons’ production along the edge. Pearce, 22, collected 10.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 2025. Those totals helped him finish third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Pearce’s bond has yet to be set, according to the WPLG piece. His arrest report has not yet been made available, it adds, limiting details on the nature of the alleged incident.
Cowboys Expected To Tag WR George Pickens; Sides Have Mutual Extension Interest, But Tag-And-Trade Possible
FEBRUARY 8: Recent reporting has suggested that, whether he plays on the franchise tag or on a new, multiyear contract, Pickens will remain in Dallas for at least 2026. But it is still possible that 2025 may have been Pickens’ only season with the Cowboys.
While confirming that the club will slap Pickens with the franchise tag, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) says the team could explore a tag-and-trade scenario. Such a move would obviously weaken the Cowboys’ WR corps but would represent a good value proposition considering they would likely recoup a better draft pick than the third-rounder they dealt to the Steelers to acquire Pickens last year. Plus, it would keep a second high-end receiver contract off the books and allow Dallas to reinvest elsewhere.
Like Parsons, Pickens is represented by agent David Mulugheta, whose exclusion from the Jones-Parsons negotiations was a contributing factor in the trade that sent the star pass rusher to the Packers. Rapoport and others have speculated that Mulugheta’s presence is a wrinkle that could complicate extension talks between Pickens and the Cowboys.
FEBRUARY 7: George Pickens‘ stellar showing in 2025 has no doubt provided a major boost to his free agent stock. A trip to the open market continues to look unlikely, however. 
The Cowboys have a history of using the franchise tag, and applying it to Pickens has long loomed as a possibility for the 2026 offseason. Signs continue to point in the direction of the one-year tender being used in this case. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Dallas is indeed expected to tag Pickens.
Franchise tag values have not been finalized for 2026 at this point, but a relatively narrow range regarding next year’s salary cap recently emerged. The tag price for receivers is currently set to check in at nearly $29MM. That figure will be guaranteed if/when Pickens receives the tag. That would of course leave the door open to negotiations on a long-term deal.
Both sides in this case have been mentioned as willing to explore a deal lasting beyond 2026 based on the success of Pickens’ first Cowboys season. According to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, there is a “mutual interest” for an extension to be worked out. Harris notes Pickens’ issues with tardiness for team meetings – something which became a talking point during his three-year Steelers tenure – carried over to Dallas at times during the 2025 season. Owner Jerry Jones downplayed the matter during an interview with Harris, though, and attention will increasingly turn to the matter of contract talks.
It was confirmed earlier this week the Cowboys have yet to begin extension negotiations with Pickens’ camp. Dallas has a well-documented history under Jones when it comes to high-profile talks taking longer than many feel they should. The Micah Parsons episode of 2025 was an extreme example of how things can spiral over time when neither side budges during an extended period. In the case of Pickens, a decision on the franchise tag will need to made by March 3.
“I’m talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him,” Jones said of the 24-year-old (via the Cowboys’ website). “He’s better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I’m looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time.”
The receiver market topped $40MM per season last year when Ja’Marr Chase signed his Bengals extension. He and Justin Jefferson comfortably lead the way in terms of guaranteed money at the position. Pickens is a candidate for a massive raise beginning in 2026 no matter what, but a long-term deal would ensure far greater earnings than the $8.78MM the former second-round pick collected on his rookie pact. A new contract averaging at least $30MM annually was the aim for Pickens and his camp when he arrived in Dallas and elected not to pursue an extension right away.
That decision is set to pay off. Pickens enjoyed a career year in 2025, securing a top-eight finish leaguewide in receptions (93), yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine). Based on his age and instant chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, Pickens profiles as a logical candidate for a major investment. On the other hand, Dallas already has one monster WR pact on the books in the form of CeeDee Lamb. He and Prescott are set to represent substantial cap charges on offense for years to come.
The Cowboys have a number of other key decisions to make with their other pending free agents (such as running back Javonte Williams, with whom the team has been in contact). Among the easiest ones Dallas faces, however, is using the tag to keep Pickens from departing. Players who receive the tender have until July 15 to agree to a long-term contract and avoid playing out the season on the tag.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Matt Ryan Non-Committal On Michael Penix Jr.’s Status As Falcons’ QB1; Latest On Kirk Cousins’ Future
The Falcons have a new collection of decision-makers in place in the form of president of football Matt Ryan, general manager Ian Cunningham, and head coach Kevin Stefanski. One of the top priorities for that trio will be devising a short- and long-term quarterback plan.
During last week’s introductory press conference for Cunningham, Ryan was asked if Michael Penix Jr. would step back into his QB1 role when he is recovered from the partially-torn ACL he sustained in November. As ESPN’s Marc Raimondi relays, Ryan was notably non-committal on that front.
“Neither of us are the head coach of the football team, so we can’t answer your question on that,” Ryan said of himself and Cunningham (even though final personnel authority belongs to Ryan, with both Cunningham and Stefanski reporting to him). “I think as we start to get into this process and dive deeper into the roster – how it currently stands, where it’s going in the future – I think those are conversations that’ll be a part of it.”
The club hoped it would be set at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future after making two splashes in the 2024 offseason. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in free agency in March 2024 and then surprised everyone (including Cousins) by selecting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick of that year’s draft. Cousins’ first season in Atlanta was derailed by injury, and he was ultimately benched in favor of Penix, who entered the 2025 offseason as the unquestioned starter. Despite Cousins’ status as an obvious trade/release candidate, the Falcons elected to retain the four-time Pro Bowler as the most expensive backup passer in NFL history.
Penix did not make the progress the Falcons hoped for in his sophomore campaign, and his season-ending ACL injury allowed Cousins to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup. In his 10 appearances (eight starts) in 2025, Cousins completed 61% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. He posted a 5-3 record as a starter.
The terms of Cousins’ recent contract restructure mean he will soon be released. However, there is at least a theoretical possibility that Atlanta could re-sign Cousins after releasing him, as we recently suggested. In that scenario, the 37-year-old would represent a viable stopgap solution until Penix is medically cleared. Cousins’ familiarity with Stefanski’s system – Stefanski was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator in Minnesota from 2018-19 – could make a new contract more likely. While retirement and a foray into broadcasting are also on the table, Cousins said he feels “rejuvenated” after finishing out the 2025 season as a starter and would like to continue playing in 2026 (via NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman).
Penix recently suggested he would be cleared by April, but Raimondi stands by prior reporting on the southpaw’s timeline. The ESPN scribe referenced a timeline of nine to 12 months.
“Quarterback’s obviously very important, and we’re excited about Mike and what he’s doing with his rehab,” Ryan said of Penix. “I’ve been up at the facility the last three weeks, and Michael’s been in there attacking that and he’s in a good space right now, so we’re excited about where he is at. But certainly, a lot of discussions for us about the entire roster.”