The Atlanta Falcons made the biggest surprise pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.
The No. 8 first-round selection pick sparked outrage on social media and surprised Cousins.
Related posts
“It was a huge surprise. “We had no idea this was coming,” Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, told the NFL Network via text. “The truth is, the entire league had no idea this was coming. We received no notification. Kirk received a call from the Falcons as they were on the clock. That was the first thing we heard. No one ever brought it up in conversation.
In a post on X moments before the selection, McCartney cautioned: “Bout to be shocked.”
Cousins, 35, has made no public comments on the Falcons’ decision to choose Penix.
The stunning announcement sparked a rapid reaction on social media.
At a post-draft press conference, head coach Raheem Morris stated that it was necessary “to address our future quarterback right now while we’re picking this low in these moments.”
“Fortunately for us, we have a Kirk Cousins in the building; we have a guy who can go out there and win football games, and we should be picking high enough,” he went on to say.
General Manager Terry Fontenot stated that the team’s decision to sign Penix was based on thinking “about the future.” Penix, 23, is a rookie at the University of Washington.
“These aren’t simple decisions. They are difficult decisions,” he explained. “We will establish a long-term winner. I am really, really excited about Kirk. “That has not changed.”
In May, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with a $100 million guarantee. Washington selected the experienced quarterback in 2012, where he played for six seasons before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
A well-known veteran quarterback has previously shared the sidelines with a signal caller who seems destined to succeed him.
Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, waited on the bench for three seasons in Green Bay, backing up Brett Favre, before the Packers selected the first-round pick from California.
Before Joe Montana moved to Kansas City, Steve Young and Joe Montana shared the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline from 1987 to 1992.
Joe Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2013, but the writing was on the wall when the Ravens selected Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 draft. Jackson replaced an injured Flacco midway through his debut season and won the league MVP award in 2019.
