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The Atlanta Falcons became the biggest story of the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the #8 overall pick.
The reason that the Falcons’ selection was so headline-grabbing was because they had just signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million deal, signaling an intention to be in “win now” mode.
According to Albert Breer of (the animated corpse of) Sports Illustrated, however, one of the main reasons that Cousins left the Vikings in the first place was due to their plan to draft a quarterback, which they ultimately did when they selected J.J. McCarthy at #10 overall.
Here’s why—a reason he decided to leave Minnesota is because the Vikings were very up front with the 35-year-old about the possibility that, even in the case he stayed, they’d take a quarterback of the future high in the draft,” Breer reported.
“Tying that together with the team’s willingness to guarantee part, but not all, of a second year on another contract, Cousins figured that, if he stayed, there was a good shot that he’d be on the move in 2025.”
The Falcons are adamant, however, that Penix Jr. is a pick for the future and that they’re committed to Cousins as the team’s starting quarterback. That’ll certainly be the case for the next two seasons as the money in his contract for 2024-25 and 2025-26 is guaranteed.
Still, even if the Falcons are committed to Cousins, the selection of Penix Jr. can then be seen as a disservice to the team that’s apparently trying to win a Super Bowl this season, as adding a Top 10 draft pick that would be able to contribute now would have been a huge asset for the team.