The Falcons are once again the butt of the jokes following the first round of the draft after selecting Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall not even two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.
If you ask Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris, though, they are confident in their plan, believing they can compete right now for Super Bowls while also preparing for the future. Kirk Cousins is still the Falcons starting quarterback, and they hope it will stay that way for the duration of his contract.
Fontenot on Penix: If he sits for four or five years, that’s a great problem to have because we’re doing so well at that position. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) April 26, 2024
This is mostly just hyperbole, but it really does speak to the incompetence of the organization, because there is a lot of truth behind it.
The Falcons believe in Kirk Cousins’ ability. Why else pay him $180 million over four years with $100 million in guarantees? There’s a real chance he plays well enough to play out the entirety of that contract, which means Michael Penix Jr. might not see the field until his rookie contract is up.
At that point, Penix will be approaching 30, and the Falcons will have to make a decision on his fifth-year option without him playing meaningful snaps. If it sounds crazy, it’s because it is. This is genuinely a call the Falcons might have to make if, God forbid, the guy they just signed for $180 million plays well.
That’s the issue with all of this. It has nothing to do with what I, you, or anybody thinks about Michael Penix Jr. as a prospect. We all hope he’s the second coming of Patrick Mahomes and leads the Falcons to the promised land. However, investing $180 million in a quarterback then turning around and taking one in the top 10 in the draft is certifiably insane.
The best part about rookie quarterbacks is the contract. It allows organizations to build superteams around him, giving Penix everything he could possibly need to thrive early in his career. With Cousins in the fold, there’s a plausible scenario out there in the universe where he doesn’t even take a snap until a decision on his fifth-year option must be made. Describing this move as insanity doesn’t even do it justice.
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Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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