Kirk Cousins left Minnesota for Atlanta with the intention of avoiding quarterback controversy, but it’s only part of the reason he signed with the Falcons over the Vikings.
Cousins appreciated the Vikings being upfront about their plan to draft his successor, which played a factor in him going elsewhere in free agency. The Falcons did offer more money in every sense of the word, but would Cousins have signed knowing they were going to draft Michael Penix?
I’m not so sure. Ideally, the Falcons would’ve drafted a prospect that could help Kirk Cousins win right now instead of potentially replacing him, but that’s not the world we live in right now.
The reality is there could be a quarterback controversy brewing in Flowery Branch. Ian Rapoport is reporting that Cousins won’t receive the “full complement of reps” this offseason.
“The most important thing we heard about Kirk Cousins today is from Raheem Morris, the new head coach for the Falcons, saying Kirk Cousins is quote, “Pretty much full-go,” Rapoport said. “That is about as good as it gets this time of the year.”
The Falcons are starting OTAs today, and Cousins can do everything he possibly can at this point in his rehab. However, as Rapoport notes via Raheem Morris, he still won’t take all of the reps this offseason.
“The other part of this as Raheem Morris noted today is that Cousins is not going to get the full complement of reps this Spring, which means we are going to see plenty of Michael Penix Jr.,” Rapoport added.
As I’ve said multiple times, the worst case scenario for the Falcons is to watch Michael Penix spin the rock in the Georgia heat while Cousins watches from the sidelines.
Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot can keep Penix on the bench all they want. In fact, I’d argue in a live-game situation, Penix couldn’t hold Cousins’ jock strap because of the difference in experience; however, that’s not how people operate.
Falcons players are going to see Penix’s incredible arm on full display, which could bring about whispers of a change. This is all speculation, and maybe Atlanta avoids any kind of drama thanks to veterans like Jessie Bates, Chris Lindstrom, Grady Jarrett, and others, but this is a conversation that is only getting started.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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