Last month, the Atlanta Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year/$180 million contract. On Thursday night, the Falcons shocked Cousins — and the NFL world — by drafting former Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, told him that Atlanta didn’t inform Cousins of its decision to draft Penix until the team was on the clock. Understandably, the veteran QB is said to be frustrated with the team’s decision — one that will not make the Falcons better in 2024.
Head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot said they will not divulge information on Cousins’ reaction to the pick.
“These are not easy decisions. These are tough decisions,” Fontenot said. “But that’s who we’re thinking about. We’re thinking about the fans. We’re thinking about this organization. We’re going to build a sustained winner. We’re going to win for a long time. That’s the most important position in football.”
“He got called on the clock, obviously because of the sensitive time with the issues of what you got going on,” Morris said. “It’s never a right time to talk to a quarterback about those things. And reactions are always going to be private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides to tell you some of those things that are whatever they may be. But he’s a competitor, just like us all. And you can always expect those things to go just like you kind of think.”
Even Penix admitted he was surprised by the move.
“I’m not going to say I knew it was coming. But I knew once the phone call came through. He’s been in the league,” Penix said about Cousins. “He’s been in there for a while. He’s played a lot of football. I feel like I’m going to come in and I’m going to learn. I’m going to learn from him.”
