While it’s impossible not to be excited about Michael Penix Jr.’s future in Atlanta, it’s equally impossible to ignore the disaster class the organization put on with the entire quarterback situation.
Penix is a franchise quarterback. That much is clear. Unlike Desmond Ridder following his four-game stretch to end the 2022 season, there’s actually physical evidence that Penix is going to be the guy.
However, we cannot simply overlook the decision to give Kirk Cousins all of that money and the overall handling of the situation. Thankfully, Alex Smith isn’t letting Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris off the hook.
“I don’t know why the vibes would be good in Atlanta right now, because from my perspective, this is an organizational disaster,” Smith said. “In the last calendar year, your personnel department went out and thought Kirk Cousins was good enough to give a $180 million contract; then you spent a top ten pick on a quarterback, and now after 14 games, you’ve changed your mind.”
Falcons fans should be excited about Michael Penix and his future, but we have to compartmentalize and be able to remain objective to the fact that the Kirk Cousins contract and the overall process was an abject disaster, which is what Alex Smith is trying to communicate.
“You thrust this kid in, and again, I think he has a bright future, but with three games left, you’re in the middle of a division race, and there is no time to develop,” Smith continued. “The truth is, he missed 10-12 throws last week. There was zero margin for error, and that was unfair to put on the kid,” Smith continued.
“The reality, you paid Kirk Cousins 90 million dollars for 14 games. He has a $40 Million cap hit next year. The ramifications of this are going to echo into next season. This is what dysfunction looks like. His future is bright, but at the same time, this is a catastrophe. This division was wide open. You have the most talented team in the division and let it all go from lack of plan.”
I’m glad that someone is calling out the Falcons organization. Alex Smith is dead-accurate. Atlanta should be praised for the bold decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. six weeks after signing Kirk Cousins, but they should also be heavily scrutinized for their process because it’s in no way a success.
The club’s postseason drought continued, marking seven consecutive seasons of early trips to Cabo. And it won’t just suddenly end in 2025. The Falcons will either have to eat considerable dead money by parting ways with Kirk Cousins or pay him his full salary to be a backup quarterback.
Either way, the Falcons won’t be able to best maximize Penix’s rookie contract. That’s a misuse of resources, something this organization has become known for.
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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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