The Atlanta Falcons made headlines when they selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Falcons have struggled with consistency at quarterback since Matt Ryan was traded, so the pick shouldn’t be a shock. However, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a signed Kirk Cousins to large contract in free agency. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said the Falcons could “theoretically trade Cousins to a place he wants to go next season,” during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason. Cousins spent the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He helped lead the Vikings to two playoff appearances and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times. He threw for 23,265 yards and 171 touchdowns as a Viking.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” General Manager Terry Fontenot said in a post-draft press conference. “We’re very excited about Kirk. We’re very excited about this team. Michael Penix, we’re talking about the future. You look at the future. You look at the big picture. We are very excited about that quarterback room, and again, Kirk is our quarterback. But adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”
Scenario for Trading Cousins
The Falcons have seen Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke start games at quarterback since the team moved on from Ryan. The Falcons selecting Penix is a move they described as thinking about the future.
“It’s pretty simple for us. When you get Kirk Cousins, and you talk about short-term winning and talk about winning right now, which we know we will be in a position to do, we won’t have the ability to be picking this high again with the guy that we got,” coach Raheem Morris said.
Cousins has $90 million of his $180 million contract guaranteed over the next two seasons. Rapoport suggests that if Cousins is playing well and the team is not necessarily succeeding the Falcons could trade Cousins and move into the Penix era.
“Let’s say it’s last year’s Vikings team where Cousins is putting up good numbers but you’re not winning a lot of games. Then do you play Penix if he’s good enough?” said Rapoport. “Then maybe you do but that actually proves my point because then you could theoretically trade cousins to a place he would want to go to the next season and then you have your franchise guy.”
Falcons’ Future at Quarterback
“We’re very excited about where Kirk is,” Fontenot said. “We feel very confident in him and everything he’s going to do for us. Again, we’re thinking more long-term with this. We’re very, very excited about Kirk. That has not changed. This is thinking about the future.”
The Falcons discussed the “Green Bay model,” said Morris. The Green Bay Packers selected Aaron Rodgers in the first round when they had Brett Favre in 2005. In 2020 they selected Jordan Love in the first round when they had Rodgers. Rodgers and Love both sat for three seasons before becoming the starter.
The Falcons are looking at the success the Packers had with Love and Rodgers learning from a veteran. The plan for the Falcons is likely to let Cousins play until they feel Penix is ready to take over and then trade him. However, the team will not regret the pick even if Cousins continues to shine through the length of his deal.
“If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him. And if he sits for four or five years, that’s a great problem to have because we’re doing so well at that position,” Fontenot said. “So, it’s as simple as, if you see a guy you believe in at that position, you have to take him.”
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