It sounds like veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was not expecting the Atlanta Falcons to draft a quarterback with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which wound up being used on former Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.
According to Sports Illustrated&#8216;s Albert Breer, a reason Cousins decided to leave the Minnesota Vikings was &#8220;because the Vikings were very upfront with the 35-year-old about the possibility that, even in the case he stayed, they&#8217;d take a quarterback of the future high in the draft.&#8221; His new team wound up doing the exact same thing.
Breer added that Minnesota&#8217;s declaration to Cousins along with the team&#8217;s &#8220;willingness to guarantee part, but not all, of a second year on another contract&#8221; caused Cousins to determine that &#8220;if he stayed, there was a good shot that he&#8217;d be on the move in 2025.&#8221;
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The Falcons&#8217; selection of Penix was the most surprising decision of the first round. Many believed that Penix could have been available later in the draft, and Atlanta filled its need for a quarterback when it signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.
The Falcons explained their decision to draft Penix by pointing to their previous blunder of not having a succession plan in place when former NFL MVP Matt Ryan was traded away in the 2022 offseason.
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&#8220;We were always looking aggressively for the heir apparent, the down-the-road, the solution at that position [after Ryan],&#8221; Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith said last week. &#8220;&#8230; It&#8217;s the most important position in all sports, and it&#8217;s the most expensive position in all sports. &#8230; We went from a time of uncertainty in January at that position to we feel really good for, like I said, minimum five years.&#8221;
Cousins reportedly was informed of the team&#8217;s decision to draft Penix when Atlanta was on the clock with the No. 8 pick. Penix said he spoke with Cousins after he was selected and the two of them had &#8220;a very good conversation.&#8221;
While Cousins&#8217; tenure with the Falcons is off to a rocky start, he still gives the team a shot at competing for its first playoff spot since 2017.
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NFL Rumors: Falcons’ Kirk Cousins Left Vikings in Part Because of Desire to Draft QB