The Atlanta Falcons famously – by this point – shocked the NFL world when they selected soon-to-be 24 year old rookie quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., with the 8th overall pick in this year’s draft, having just signed Kirk Cousins to a 4 year, $180 million mega deal to be their franchise quarterback, just a month prior.
Atlanta Falcons Make Curious Draft Decision To Take Michael Penix Jr.
Not only did the Falcons pass on prime receiving targets, Rome Odunze and Brock Bowers, with the selection of Penix at #8, but they had their choice of all the defensive players in the draft – as each of the prior 7 picks had been on the offensive side of the ball.
Atlanta’s general manager and head coach duo, Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris, point to the work done by the Green Bay Packers, where they selected Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick to back up future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers, for 3 years, just as a Rodgers once did for former incumbent, Brett Favre.
Michael Penix Jr – Jordan Love Comparison Could Be A Faulty One
Yet, these are clearly not parallel situations; the 8th overall pick and the 26th have vastly different values, according to the NFL trade value chart – so much so that you would have to give up the equivalent of the 26th pick to move from 26 to 8 in the draft. So the Falcons essentially spent double the amount of draft capital on Michael Penix Jr. as the Packers did on Love.
Secondly, whilst Love was a talented but raw 21 year old that had much to learn about scheme, reading defenses and cleaning up his footwork; Jordan Palmer famously recalls that Love did not even know how to run a 2 minute offense coming into the draft in 2020; Penix, who will turn 24 in less than a week, has 5 years of experience as a starter, and was seen by many as arguably the most ready-to-go quarterback in the 2024 class.
So, it was somewhat of a head scratcher for many in NFL punditry and front offices alike, especially if Kirk Cousins is expected to man the QB reins, even as Penix Jr sits on the bench, ready to go.
Kirk Cousins A Prime Trade Candidate This Offseason?
Despite Cousins being entrenched as the starter, per Morris, a stellar training camp, or impressive short term spell for Penix could lead the Falcons brass into a tough situation regarding their quarterback situation. And with Cousins coming back from a notoriously serious injury, an Achilles tear suffered in October, complications in recovery could open the door for Penix to shine in August, September and perhaps beyond,
However, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport outlines a secondary scenario in which Cousins stays healthy, yet ends up being traded sooner rather than later.
If both Cousins and Penix Jr. are playing well, in practice or on the field, however, the team is failing to put together winning performances, the Falcons could decide to move on from their expensive signal caller, and embrace the future with arms wide open.
Indeed, even if the Falcons suspect there is only a minimal gap between the two, it may be worth their while to take what would be substantial dead cap losses with the former Minnesota Viking – $60 million cumulatively over the duration of his contract – and move forward with the National Champion runner up.
However, at this point, it seems like the Falcons will ride Cousins for at least a year, and subsequently evaluate the position this time next year.
One thing, however, is for certain: the Atlanta Falcons will – hopefully – have few reasons to bring in any quarterback for the foreseeable future.
