Either way, the Falcons appear to be committed to Penix as their No. 1 QB going forward after he closed the regular season with three strong performances as the team’s starter, while Atlanta lost four of Cousins’ five final starts. The team could either trade or release Cousins, who also battled injuries last season.

If Cousins were to want to leave Atlanta, he would have to approve of any move due to the no-trade clause within his contract. Not only is that a hurdle the Falcons may have to jump through, but they will likely have to eat more than $37.5 million of Cousins's salary.