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Kirk Cousins stunned, frustrated by Falcons’ Michael Penix pick

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated 4/25/24

The Falcons shocked the world tonight when they drafted Michael Penix.

After a ton of speculation about whether Atlanta would take a defender or trade back and acquire more picks, Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris take a quarterback in their first draft together.

Three years with Arthur Smith and Fontenot only invested a third-round pick and a couple of veteran free agent deals then in one offseason, he sunk $180 million and the 8th overall pick into the position.

It’s quite shocking, and I haven’t even fully digested it yet, but everyone’s asking — Kirk Cousins???

The Falcons signaled to the rest of the league (and Kirk Cousins) that they want to compete. I mean, why else give a guy $100 million guaranteed? Turning around and spending your most valuable draft pick on his replacement is at best a flawed process.

Cousins surely didn’t expect it. According to Pete Thamel and Dianna Russini, the veteran and his camp are frustrated, confused, and stunned.

There's inherent frustration and confusion from Cousins' camp, as they didn't use that pick to help the team in 2024. They instead drafted his eventual replacement before he's put on a Falcons helmet.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 26, 2024

The Falcons called Kirk Cousins when they were on the clock to let him know.
From what I learned, Cousins understood a QB would be considered but he did not believe his successor would be taken in the first round. I’m told he’s a bit stunned.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 26, 2024

Hell yeah, he’s stunned! We all are. Nobody expected the Falcons to take a quarterback.

Kirk Cousins expected someone like Rome Odunze or a defender to bolster the weaker side of the ball. Now, he’s been tasked with mentoring his successor. Yeah, I’m sure he’s frustrated.

The hope is that for the next 15-20 years the Falcons will never go through what they did the last two seasons at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins plays, and Michael Penix takes over as the next franchise signal caller.

In theory, it’s a great plan. Reality may be a bit different. The worst part of all this is Falcons fans won’t have vindication, whether they love or hate the pick, for years to come.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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