According to his agent, Kirk Cousins was blindsided last night. He had no clue that the Atlanta Falcons were going to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Cousins had just been traded to the Falcons for a king’s ransom. Which makes drafting Penix, at the very least, a bold decision.
Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, said the quarterback was taken aback by Atlanta’s decision:
Cousins Had No Idea
McCartney’s remarks come at the same time that Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Cousins “understood.” He had an inkling that the Falcons were mulling over bringing in his successor in the draft.
Although Cousins was “a bit stunned,” McCartney said, that the franchise chose to use its first-round pick on a signal-caller.
McCartney, confirmed that Cousins was caught off guard by Atlanta’s decision.
In March, Cousins signed a four-year contract worth up to $180 million. This came after spending the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Bleacher Report, “Penix was the fourth quarterback taken in the draft, with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye going 1-2-3 to start the event. Penix was rated as the No. 7 quarterback and the No. 87 overall player by Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department. Penix threw for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2023 and led Washington to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the CFP National Championship.”
But it’s not all roses.
“The concerns with Penix come with his age and his injury history. He will be 24 years old when his rookie season begins and has notably suffered multiple ACL injuries in his collegiate career,” the story noted. “Still, he could benefit by sitting behind Cousins for a few years in a similar way to how Jordan Love sat behind Aaron Rodgers for multiple years in Green Bay before taking over as the starter.”
If it is said Kirk Cousins had no idea about the pick, there’s no reason not ot believe it.
As surprising as it was, nonetheless.
