Atlanta Falcons Shock NFL Draft with Michael Penix Jr.
The Atlanta Falcons really caught everyone off guard during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Michael Penix Jr. was their choice, which shocked everyone.. as the eighth overall pick on Thursday night.
The Falcons kept their choice so hush-hush that even Kirk Cousins had no clue it was coming. During the draft broadcast, Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Media revealed that Cousins and his team were completely unaware that the Falcons would choose a quarterback with their first pick.
Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, made it crystal clear on NFL Network that the Penix pick was a “huge surprise.” He said, “We were totally blindsided. Honestly, the whole league was caught off guard.We had no warning. Kirk only got a call from the Falcons when they were already on the clock. We initially learned about it at that time. It didn’t even come up in any previous talks.
The Falcons tried to ease the shock by calling Cousins to inform him about the pick while they were still on the clock, but it didn’t really help matters, as reported by The Athletic. Cousins was left feeling “stunned” and “disappointed” by Atlanta’s decision to go for a quarterback, as per NFL Media.
It’s not hard to see why Cousins was taken aback. Ultimately, in March, he inked a huge four-year, zero-million dollar contract with the Falcons.Naturally, he thought he was going to be the main quarterback for Atlanta for the foreseeable future. But now, the Falcons have thrown a curveball.
Plus, Cousins’ contract only guarantees million, so Atlanta could opt out after just two seasons if they choose to go with Penix.Not to mention, Penix is a reliable backup for Cousins, who had a serious injury in 2023 due to a damaged Achilles tendon.
The Falcons made a risky decision by selecting Penix with the eighth overall choice, but it could cause controversy in Atlanta.
CBS Sports:https://www.cbssports.com/cbssports