The Falcons shocked everyone in the NFL world, from players to fans to owners to pundits, when they drafted Michael Penix, including their newly signed $180 million quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
Nobody, other than a few brave souls, saw it coming. Atlanta had completely blindsided everyone because they kept their interest under wraps. The Falcons didn’t owe Kirk Cousins anything more than a heads up on draft night because Arthur Blank signed a big check with Cousins’ name on it.
One wrinkle that was recently revealed in this entire Penix, Cousins, Falcons saga was the veteran’s decision to leave Minnesota. The Vikings were upfront with Cousins about their intentions of drafting a quartebrack, and it reportedly played a role in him coming to Atlanta.
Granted, money will always be the end all be all for Kirk Cousins; that’s how he’s operated his entire career, and the Falcons offered more money in every sense of the word. With that being said, the entire situation could’ve ended up much differently had the Falcons told Cousins about their plans to draft Penix or any quarterback for that matter.
Don’t ask Kirk Cousins, though. When asked the exact question, the new Falcons quarterback said the most predictable thing ever.
“I don’t deal in hypotheticals.”
I asked QB Kirk Cousins if he would have signed with the Falcons if they would have initially told him during their recruiting pitch they would take a QB at #8..
”I don’t deal in hypotheticals…
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) May 14, 2024
I actually don’t think the Falcons draft plans would’ve impacted Kirk Cousins coming to Atlanta instead of staying in Minnesota because Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and Arthur Blank were willing to go further in contract negotiations than the Vikings were.
That’s what this all boils down to. Both the Falcons and Vikings planned on drafting a quarterback in the first round, but the Falcons were willing to offer more money, guarantees, and years than the Vikings. I can’t imagine anything would have changed even if Cousins was aware of Atlanta’s plans to draft Michael Penix Jr.
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Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
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