Atlanta is all in on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the face of the franchise, but the Falcons insist they don't have to part with high-priced No.

If the Falcons are playing hardball, it's not working. And if they think keeping quarterback Kirk Cousins is a sound idea, they might be beyond saving.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot indicated Tuesday that he would be comfortable keeping Cousins as the NFL’s most expensive backup in the second year of the four-year, $180 million free-agent contract that he signed last offseason.