Falcons and Steelers head into 2024 looking to put QB issues in the rearview mirror

ATLANTA (AP) — Two teams that have struggled to fill the most important position on the field are taking another crack at settling their quarterback dilemmas.

For the Atlanta Falcons, $180 million man Kirk Cousins has been handed the keys to the offense. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both trying to revitalize their careers after flaming out elsewhere.

The season opener Sunday will be the first chance to gauge if either team is finally headed in the right direction.

“You feel that sense of urgency as much as you ever have,” Cousins said.

After the Matt Ryan era, the Falcons handed the QB job on a stopgap basis to Marcus Mariota, who didn't even make it through a single season. A year ago, the team seesawed between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke on the way to a sixth straight losing record.

Enter Cousins, who agreed to a four-year contract that included $100 million guaranteed. Even coming off an Achilles tendon injury that cut short his final season with the Vikings, he sure seems like a major upgrade over his predecessors.

“We have done a lot to build, and now it counts,” Cousins said. “I’ve been standing here for weeks, months, talking about how it’s just talk right now, and that’s all it can be in May and July, but eventually it’s got to become not just talk, but actual substance. It’ll start on Sunday.”

The Steelers blew up their offense in the offseason, signing Wilson after his two forgettable seasons in Denver and trading for Fields after the Bears decided they were going to take a quarterback with the first pick in the NFL draft.

Wilson easily beat out Fields for the starting job during training camp despite dealing with a calf injury. Yet the redemption arc Wilson is seeking took a hit on Thursday when he tweaked the same calf, leaving his status for the opener uncertain.

The 35-year-old Wilson is hoping for a career reset after getting benched by Broncos coach Sean Payton, leading to Wilson's eventual ouster.

He has embraced being in Pittsburgh, which sprinted to sign him to a one-year deal minutes into free agency. The Steelers selected Wilson as a team captain, a nod of respect for the way he has embraced a move that seemed unlikely just two years ago after the Broncos signed him to a massive contract before ultimately paying him nearly $40 million to go away.

Both Wilson and Fields are vying to fill a spot that's been an issue for the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. The team cycled through Mitch Trubinsky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph before discarding all three in the offseason after a quick first-round playoff loss to Buffalo.

Smith's return

Arthur Smith didn't have to wait long for a shot at payback against the team that fired him.

Smith was dumped in January as Atlanta's coach after three straight 7-10 seasons. He quickly landed with the Steelers, who hired him as offensive coordinator.

Smith is charged with spicing up a run-heavy offense that has struggled to reach the end zone.

A victory over his former employer would be a bonus.

Offensive weapons

With Cousins now running the offense, plus a new coach in Raheem Morris, the Falcons hope to take full advantage of the offensive players they took high in the first round during Smith's tenure.

Tight end Kyle Pitts was the fourth overall pick in 2021, receiver Drake London was taken at No. 8 in 2022 and running back Bijan Robinson came aboard a season ago, also with the eighth selection.

“I would say explosive is something we really want to be,” Cousins said.

Jumbled line

The quarterback position isn't the only one littered with new faces for the Steelers.

The offensive line is in the midst of another overhaul, which includes the drafting of tackle Troy Fautanu in the first round and center Zach Frazier in the second.

Frazier will start against the Falcons, while Fautanu’s status remains uncertain as he recovers from a knee injury that slowed him during training camp.

Veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo is also out while dealing with a pectoral injury, with former seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson taking over in the short term.

That’s a lot of moving parts to figure out for a team that figures to rely heavily on the running game early in the year while Wilson tries to build chemistry with a receiver group that’s short on depth behind George Pickens.

Bulked-up defense

The Falcons made major strides defensively in 2023, and they've added two more weapons to their arsenal for this season.

Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon was acquired from the New England Patriots for a third-round pick. The Falcons needed a pass rusher to bolster a defense that hasn't had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley recorded 15 1/2 in 2016.

The Falcons also signed two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons, who has 30 career interceptions. He'll pare nicely at the back of the defense with Jesse Bates III.

Pickens or bust

Steelers receiver George Pickens is a dynamic playmaker, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of help on the outside.

None of the next four players on the depth chart — Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III and rookie Roman Wilson — has caught more than 50 passes in a season.

It's critical for the Steelers to find ways to put the 6-foot-4 Pickens in favorable matchups.

“I think he’s grown in all areas, not only in terms of skill relative to his position — he has a lot of that — but the nuances of the game,” Tomlin said.

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AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

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Paul Newberry, The Associated Press