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The Atlanta Falcons seemed to find their quarterback of the present and near future when they signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. However, the Falcons muddied the waters when they then used the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on fellow quarterback Michael Penix.
Adding a quarterback in the first round – especially in the first 10 picks – will bring some added pressure to Cousins. However, Penix or not, the quarterback is still confident in his decision to join the Falcons, he told reporters on Tuesday, h/t Eric Edholm of NFL.com.
“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” Cousins said. “We could go down that path for a long time in a lot of ways, and it just doesn’t do us any good.”
“I’m excited for this opportunity,” Cousins continued. “I think it’s a real privilege to be a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and I’m trying to make good on the opportunity that they’ve given me with the way I work.”
Even with the arrival of Penix, Cousins’ contract and veteran status ensure he enters the season as Atlanta’s QB1; barring injury. That has been the major thing holding Cousins back, as he appeared in just eight games during the 2023 season. However, when healthy during his Minnesota Vikings tenure, Cousins gave the Falcons plenty of reasons to believe in him.
Over his six years with the Vikings, Cousins went 50-37-1 as a starter, throwing for 23,265 yards, 171 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times after earning his first Pro Bowl nod with the then Washington Redskins in 2016.
Michael Penix’s emergence will certainly bring some questions to the Falcons’ quarterback room. But Cousins isn’t letting them affect him and is rather focusing on making a strong Atlanta debut.
Why did the Falcons draft Michael Penix
Before signing Cousins, it was clear that quarterback was the Falcons’ most glaring need. Neitehr Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke looked to be the guy in 2023. Earning a high draft pick correlated with poor quarterback play.
However, Atlanta has plenty of tools to have a successful offense. The young trio of wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts is a tantalizing sight for any offensive coordinator. Now having a competent thrower in Cousins, the Falcons are expecting their offense to hit overdrive.
But if that plan comes to fruition, Atlanta will be drafting much lower come 2025. If the Cousins experience is a grand success, they won’t be drafting high during the four years of his contract.
In that case, the Falcons wanted to ensure they found their quarterback of the distant future while they still had a top 10 pick. Penix is still raw compared to many of the top QBs in the 2024 class. However, he dazzled while at Washington, throwing for 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions during his two years with the Huskies. Penix earned numerous accolades over his career, including the Maxwell Award in 2023.
As long as Kirk Cousins is healthy, he will be under center in the Falcons. But Atlanta didn’t want to lose out on the opportunity of drafting Penix. While it is an unusual team building strategy, both Cousins and the Falcons are confident it’ll work both in the short and long-term.
More must-reads:
- Steelers QB Justin Fields focusing on 'little things' amid battle with Russell Wilson
- Rams sign first-round DE, complete draft class
- The 'Most receiving yards in a season' quiz
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