No team in the NFL invested more in the quarterback position than the Atlanta Falcons did during the 2024 offseason. After a campaign that saw Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke shuffled back and forth in a neverending game of musical chairs, landing Kirk Cousins in free agency was a major win for the team.
However, the Falcons weren’t the only ones to add a new signal-caller over the offseason. The Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers were among the teams to change quarterbacks.
Other teams, such as the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, added a new No. 1 wide receiver. A new feature from CBS Sports‘ Jordan Dajani ranked the 12 new quarterback-wide receiver duos going into the 2024 season.
Cousins and Drake London came in at No. 3 on CBS Sports’ list:
The former No. 8 overall pick caught 69 passes for a career-high 905 yards and two touchdowns last season. London has great size and turns 23 next month, so he’s someone who is definitely primed for a big year with the quarterback change. – Jordan, Dajani. CBS Sports
Dajani placed the Falcons just behind Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. of the Arizona Cardinals. The Houston Texans’ duo of quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Stefon Diggs topped the list.
With Cousins at quarterback, CBS Sports projects London to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with a projected 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns on 85 receptions. While London is certainly talented enough to put up those numbers, it remains to be seen how the targets will be divided between him and tight end Kyle Pitts.
Pitts has yet to become the X-factor many projected him to be coming out of the draft, but his best year came as a rookie when QB Matt Ryan was still in Atlanta. Regardless of who stands out this season, the team is in considerably better shape with an established quarterback under center.