Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot made a splash this offseason by signing former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, including $100 million guaranteed.
On Thursday night, Fontenot generated even bigger headlines — and incurred a bit of scorn and mockery on social media — by selecting former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.
With the 8th pick in the 2024 @NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Michael Penix Jr.!#NFLDraft: NFLN, ABC, ESPN pic.twitter.com/o99tXbilG5
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 26, 2024
The choice reportedly left Cousins “shocked” and “disappointed.”
It was a risky and unexpected pick, to be sure. But several circumstances, including recent NFL history at the quarterback position, could help justify the move.
Cousins, of course, had good reasons to feel staggered by the Penix selection.
First and foremost, having signed a lucrative contract, the 35-year-old quarterback no doubt expected the Falcons to commit to putting together a team that could compete and win immediately rather than building for the future.
From this perspective, a player like wide receiver Rome Odunze — Penix’s former teammate at the University of Washington, selected one pick later at No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears — would have made more sense for Atlanta.
Do you think this was a bad pick by the Falcons?
Then there was the matter of keeping Cousins out of the loop.
On the social media platform X, Jane Slater of the NFL Network reported that the veteran’s shock and disappointment stemmed in part from the Falcons’ silence and alleged deceptiveness regarding their intentions.
“Never said anything to him or his reps about a QB in 1st round despite suggesting they would,” Slater said, citing an unidentified source.
As we all sit in shock over the Atlanta pick, a source tells me Kirk Cousins just as “shocked” and “disappointed” Never said anything to him or his reps about a QB in 1st round despite suggesting they would. Still “it’s a business”
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) April 26, 2024
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network confirmed that Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, did not expect the Penix pick.
From Kirk Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney on the #Falcons’ selecting QB Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall. pic.twitter.com/XpIpOQn1ua
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 26, 2024
Then there is the matter of Penix’s injury history, as well as the fact that by NFL rookie standards, he is no spring chicken.
As Bleacher Report noted, he endured multiple ACL injuries as a collegiate quarterback. He also will turn 24 before this year’s NFL season.
All of these factors led to criticism of the Falcons on social media.
For instance, Clay Travis of OutKick called the move “total idiocy.”
Giving Kirk Cousins $100 million and drafting Michael Penix is absolutely nonsensical. Total idiocy by the Falcons.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 26, 2024
Former NFL superstar and current CBS in-studio analyst J.J. Watt also questioned the move, albeit more charitably.
Falcons publicly said they weren’t interested in Lamar Jackson last offseason. (Just won his 2nd MVP)
This offseason signed Kirk Cousins to a $180M deal AND drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the #8 pick.
Either guy could potentially turn out to be great for them, but that is WILD.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 26, 2024
The GhettoGronk account on X mocked both Penix’s age and the money apparently wasted on Cousins.
Michael Penix Jr. by the time Kirk Cousins’ contract expires and he can finally start pic.twitter.com/6JlxetZcXp
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) April 26, 2024
The Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. after they just gave Kirk Cousins $180M pic.twitter.com/wNTiUis7te
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) April 26, 2024
Many others chimed in.
Genuinely considering canceling my season tickets. Why is Terry picking a 24 year old, injury prone QB5 when we just signed Cousins and have the worst pass rush in the league??????? Awful, awful pick
— Bring Back the Atlanta Flames (@eakatz123) April 26, 2024
I am embarrassed to be a fan of this joke of a franchise.
— B7JANSZN (@ChristianDuBois) April 26, 2024
Y’all left auto-draft on 😑😑😑
— Thechek182 (@thechek182) April 26, 2024
Notwithstanding the criticism and mockery, Atlanta had at least three good reasons for selecting Penix at No. 8 overall.
First, if the Falcons wanted him on their team, they had to draft him where they did.
In light of the stunned reaction across the league, one could make an argument for trading down. In other words, perhaps Atlanta could have acquired Penix with a later pick.
It appears, however, that the Falcons did not have this option.
According to James Palmer of NFL Media, three other teams coveted Penix and tried to trade up for him.
“The #Seahawks , #Saints and #Raiders all tried to get into the top 10 for Michael Penix per sources,” Palmer posted.
The #Seahawks, #Saints and #Raiders all tried to get into the top 10 for Michael Penix per sources.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) April 26, 2024
Second, NFL quarterbacks have often had success when given at least one year to develop.
Recently, of course, the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love emerged as a top-tier starter. Last season, he threw 32 touchdown passes and led Green Bay to an upset playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.
But Love, the 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft, sat for three years behind future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
In the 2017 draft, the Kansas City Chiefs used the 10th overall pick on Patrick Mahomes. Three Super Bowl MVPs later, Mahomes also has a ticket to the Hall of Fame one day.
As a rookie, however, Mahomes appeared in only one game. He watched as 33-year-old Alex Smith, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, led the Chiefs to the playoffs.
Then, when given a chance to start in 2018, Mahomes tossed 50 touchdown passes and won league MVP.
Cousins has had a fine career. In terms of accomplishments, however, he unquestionably ranks closer to Smith than to Rodgers.
For instance, the prominent analytics website Pro Football Reference uses a special “Hall of Fame Monitor” metric to compare players’ careers and gauge their worthiness for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To illustrate, the average quarterback in Canton has a score of 108, and Rodgers’ current score stands at an astronomical 192.43, third-best ever.
By contrast, Smith finished his career at 45.78. At present, Cousins has amassed a score of 45.68.
In other words, his fine career and massive contract notwithstanding, Cousins does not qualify as the kind of quarterback whose presence on a roster should prevent a team from selecting a much younger and highly coveted eventual replacement.
Finally, the state of the 2024 Falcons makes the pick at least defensible, if not more.
In recent years, Atlanta has invested high draft picks in young, offensive skill players such as running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
Poor quarterback play, however, doomed the 2023 Falcons to a 7-10 record. An offense that ranked 26th of 32 teams in scoring bore much of the blame.
Of course, the team expects Cousins to change all that.
But what if he suffers another season-ending injury, as he did last season? If that were to happen, Atlanta would find itself in the same position as a year ago.
Enter Penix as a more-than-viable backup for now. After all, the NFL has no rules against rookie quarterbacks playing.
For his part, Fontenot has quashed all hints of a quarterback controversy.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” he told reporters after the Penix selection.
Indeed, barring injury, Cousins will serve as Atlanta’s quarterback in 2024 and most likely in 2025.
On balance, therefore, the Penix selection does rate as an eye-opener.
After all, if Cousins thrives and Penix never develops, the Falcons will have wasted a high draft pick.
Likewise, if Cousins bombs and Penix supplants him, Atlanta will have wasted $100 million.
On the other hand, if Fontenot just secured the next Mahomes or even the next Love, the critics might have to scrub their social media accounts.
