Who are the Atlanta Falcons building around?

Terrin Waack: Kirk Cousins.

You don’t offer someone a four-year, $180 million contact without planning to make him the main attraction. Cousins was the Falcons’ blockbuster deal of the offseason.

Besides, how many times this offseason did either head coach Raheem Morris or general manager Terry Fontenot say quarterback is the most important position not just in football but all of sports? Honestly, I didn’t count. But it certainly felt like a lot.

The Falcons know firsthand how important it is to have consistent play at quarterback — because they’ve lacked it. They’ve been cycling through men behind center since trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, and that way of play hasn’t worked. So, the hope is Cousins is will right that wrong.

Cousins’ history shows he can be that guy, too. Between 2015-22, Cousins only missed two games, and during that time frame, he completed 67.5% of his passes for an average of 266.5 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. He was on track to start every game in 2023, too, until a Week 8 injury ruined those chances. Through eight weeks, though, Cousins led all NFL quarterbacks with 18 touchdowns, and he was No. 2 in passing yards (2,331) and No. 5 in completion percentage (69.5%).

That’s why the Falcons invested so much in Cousins.

Also, if you listen to the Falcons Final Whistle podcast, you already know who I equate the quarterback to: Rudolph. Yes, it’s another Waack analogy. Cousins is Rudolph. He leads the sleigh, the other reindeer are his teammates, and that just leaves Morris as Santa, dictating the flight’s direction.

Obviously Rudolph is the most important piece. He literally lights and leads the way. He has an entire Christmas song and story dedicated to him.

Cousins is the Falcons’ Rudolph.

Amna Subhan: Michael Penix Jr.

I know, I know. Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for right now, but I’m putting extra emphasis on the “building” part of the question. The Falcons have been very clear since they drafted Penix No. 8 overall in April — Cousins is the present and Penix is the future.

Block by block, Penix is building to one day be the Falcons’ starting quarterback. That process begins now. So far through rookie minicamp and offseason practices, the Falcons’ staff had been impressed with the young quarterback from his football abilities to his character.

“One thing I’ve noticed about Mike is he’s always…