The Atlanta Falcons are on the brink of missing the postseason for the seventh consecutive
year, including four straight under general manager Terry Fontenot. Accordingly, one would
expect seats to warm up in Flowery Branch, especially Fontenot’s.
Given the team’s record under Fontenot, there is a valid reason to believe that the fourth-year
general manager’s seat is warming up. Whether or not he is retained as the team’s general
manager in 2025 depends largely on how the Falcons perform in their final three games this
season.
Jeff Benedict, former Atlanta sports radio host and reporter on 92.9 The Game, reported
Tuesday evening on the “X” (Twitter) app that while first-year head coach Raheem Morris’ job is
safe, Fontenot is “100 percent on the hot seat.” Benedict continued by saying that the most
plausible way for Fontenot to keep his job is if the team makes the playoffs, stating that if they
fail to do so, “80 percent he’s fired” and that Blank is displeased with the lack of progress the
Falcons have made under Fontenot. Benedict continued by saying that “the more he (Blank)
thinks about the drafts under him (Fontenot), the more unhappy he gets.”
During Fontenot’s tenure, the team has yet to bring in an impact player defensively, outside of
signing free agent safety Jessie Bates to a four-year deal in the 2023 offseason. Fontenot’s
shortcomings in the Draft include passing on several defensive prospects who have turned out
to be household names in the NFL, including Micah Parsons, Patrick Surtain II, Javon Holland,
and Nick Bonitto, among others. The players Fontenot drafted in place of them have yet to meet
expectations, particularly the team’s 2021 first-round pick, tight end Kyle Pitts. The Falcons
drafted Pitts fourth overall- the highest a tight end has been drafted in NFL history and has
failed to meet expectations after eclipsing 1,000 yards during his rookie campaign.
It is not exactly clear how much validity Benedict’s report contains. However, as a former
employee of 92.9 The Game, the flagship radio station for the Falcons, it can be assumed that
Benedict still has connections with current employees who cover the team. Therefore, there is a
strong likelihood that his Tuesday night tweet has legitimacy behind it. The report came to light
shortly after the benching of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who Fontenot signed to a four-year $180
million contract ($100 million guaranteed) this past offseason. Rookie Michael Penix Jr., who will
start for Atlanta this Sunday against the New York Giants, was drafted eighth overall just weeks
after Cousins was signed. The pick took the NFL world by storm and was heavily scrutinized.
While explaining the team’s rationale behind the Draft Day stunner, Fontenot mentioned that
they “won’t have the ability to pick this high again with the guy that we got,” banking on the
belief that the Falcons would be playoff contenders for the foreseeable future. Consequently,
they would likely have too low of a pick to draft a successor for Cousins. However, Penix was
widely considered one of the more NFL-ready quarterback prospects of the 2024 draft class,
featuring Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runners in Washington’s Jayden Daniels and
Denver’s Bo Nix. If the Falcons’ brass had that much belief in him after attending the University
of Washington’s Pro Day before the Draft, they were better off selecting Penix while allocating
the money used to pay Cousins to fill some of the team’s needs, making it easier for the Falcons
to contend for the duration of Penix’s rookie contract. Instead, their plan so far has backfired.
Just 14 games into his lucrative contract, Cousins will likely not throw another pass for the
Falcons. Rarely do front offices survive after handing out lucrative contracts that flop, and if the
Falcons do indeed miss the playoffs again, Fontenot will be correct after saying that he would
not have the ability to pick in the top ten again. He will more than likely not have that opportunity
because he will likely be out of a job if Benedict’s bombshell report holds.