Kirk Cousins Cries Over Michael Penix Jr Pick
The 2024 NFL Draft has been full of surprises, but none of those may have been more significant than the Atlanta Falcons selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr as the eighth overall pick. The surprise has nothing to do with Penix's talent, which by most accounts is incredibly high. There are two reasons that Falcons fans and anybody who follows the NFL may have been caught off guard by the selection.
First, Penix wasn't slated to go in the top 10 of the 2024 Draft. Most mock drafts, including those from so-called experts, projected him to land anywhere from 20 to 50. Despite a clean bill of health and being a prolific passer since he started his first game at Indiana, the thought was that if you had a top-10 pick and wanted Penix, you could trade back to get him and acquire more assets.
Second, Atlanata just signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year contract worth $180 million. This doesn't mean they shouldn't take a quarterback in the draft, but rather, if they were going to do that, it would be in later rounds so they could use early picks on holes that still needed to be filled (edge or cornerback). Falcons fans couldn't understand the pick and immediately began lashing out on social media following the announcement.
It's Been Done Before
The move itself is not unprecedented. The Green Bay Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft despite having no intention to start him. They did it again when they drafted Jordan Love out of Utah in 2020. Rodgers eventually became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Love showed last season that he may be a top-five signal-caller in the league right now.
Having a player sit and learn, especially at quarterback, is the best strategy for developing a young player no matter where they are drafted. Doing it with a first-round talent is guaranteed to be successful. Though this selection will not pay immediate dividends, Falcons fans will be ecstatic in 2-3 years when this slot machine reads "Jackpot." Holster hates Dirty Bird fans. This was a good selection.
Kirk Cousins Began To Cry
Shortly after the announcement of the pick, reports began to circulate that Kirk Cousins and his agent were also surprised when the Falcons selected Penix. Some reports even used the word "shocked" to describe their disbelief. It was also mentioned on telecasts and draft stories that the Falcons did not notify Cousins they were planning to do this until they were about to submit the pick.
The Atlanta Falcons have no responsibility whatsoever to include Kirk Cousins in their team-building discussions. He is not a coach, GM, or anybody who plays a part in those decisions. He is a player, and players are supposed to play their best, no matter what direction the organization wants to go in the draft. It's hard to imagine anybody siding with the Cousins camp.
Stephen A Smith called Cousins' behavior disgusting, pointing out that he got a $180 million contract and needs to shut up about this. Though I often disagree with Smith on this, I am 100% with him. The Millennial/Gen Z players who think "it's all about me" are supposed to be the 20-year-old kids getting picked this weekend and not the 35-year-old veterans. Kirk Cousins is letting the rest of the world know that you are never too old to be immature.
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