The Falcons floored the football world early in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Long viewed as a potential trade-down candidate, Atlanta kept the eighth overall pick and selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The shocking selection was turned in a little over a month after the Falcons made the most expensive move in free agency, which saw Arthur Blank's team sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with a whopping $100 million guaranteed.
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of Atlanta's war room who saw Penix -- or any other QB, for that matter -- landing with the Falcons in the first round. Even Cousins was taken aback.
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"Yes, it was a big surprise," Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told NFL Media's Mike Garafolo. "We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation."
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It's smart to have a quarterback succession plan in the NFL, but Atlanta went about it in a baffling way. Penix, who has a very concerning injury history, will be 28 years old when Cousins' contract expires. The four-time Pro Bowl selection obviously isn't a lock to play out the entire deal, but the Falcons might be inclined to roll with him until the wheels fall off given the financial commitment.
A defensive standout or game-changing wide receiver at No. 8 probably made more sense for Atlanta, which is in win-now mode. Instead, it made a bizarre panic move for the future.
Featured image via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
