The Falcons surprised everyone by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. With the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Apparently, that included the team's new starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah revealed that the Falcons didn't tell Cousins they were selecting Penix before doing so.
"I just reached out to [Cousins'] agent, Mike McCartney," Jeremiah said. "He was not given a heads up. Kirk Cousins was not given really a heads up on this whole thing."
Daniel Jeremiah: "I just reached out to his agent, Mike McCartney, he was not given a heads up. Kirk Cousins was not given really a heads up on this whole thing." Pic.twitter.com/ShfKRBR257
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2024
That was backed up by reporting from NFL Network's Jane Slater, who said that Cousins was "shocked" and "disappointed" by the pick.
—="" Dianna="" Russini="" (@DMRussini)=""And McCartney later released a statement confirming all the chatter.
"Yes, it was a big surprise," McCartney wrote. "We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation."
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Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Top 250 big boardKirk Cousins' reaction to Michael Penix draft pick, explained
It's easy to understand why Cousins was surprised by the pick. Nobody was mocking Penix — or any other quarterback, for that matter — to the Falcons. It was presumed they might target a potential-packed passer on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, but not in the first round.
After all, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal during the 2024 offseason to replace Desmond Ridder as the team's starting quarterback. Atlanta gave Cousin $100 million in guarantees as part of the deal.
MORE FALCONS DRAFTING MICHAEL PENIX:
Comparing ATL QB contracts | Why Falcons made pick | Blank-Fontenot videoFurthermore, the Penix pick won't do anything to help the Falcons win in 2024 — barring an injury to Cousins. That is part of what is leading to the "frustration and confusion from Cousins' camp," as ESPN's Pete Thamel reports.
There's inherent frustration and confusion from Cousins' camp, as they didn't use that pick to help the team in 2024. They instead drafted his eventual replacement before he's put on a Falcons helmet.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 26, 2024Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and the rest of the team's brain trust are evidently confident that Penix will eventually be a franchise quarterback. He has an excellent arm, is a well-regarded leader, and put together a terrific final season at Washington, leading the Huskies to the national championship game.
The Falcons expressed that during a call with Penix. Every member of the team's front office appeared on board with the pick.
But in drafting Penix, the Falcons have created tension between the franchise and Cousins, which is less than ideal considering that the two parties are only about six weeks into their four-year marriage.
Atlanta will likely work expeditiously to clear the air with Cousins. The 36-year-old is still expected to be the team's long-term starting quarterback, after all.
Still, there will be a kink in the relationship, and Penix will be awkwardly thrust into it as a third party.
It shouldn't surprise anyone to see this play out similarly to the Packers' decision to draft Jordan Love in 2020 when Aaron Rodgers was still entrenched as the team's starting quarterback. Rodgers played three seasons for the Packers after that pick before the relationship between himself and the front office eroded.