Falcons Drafting Michael Penix Jr. Likely Isn't What Kirk Cousins Had in Mind

The new Falcons quarterback finds himself in unexpected territory in Atlanta.

Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason with the intention that he would be the unquestioned starting quarterback for years to come.

He still will be the starter under center in Atlanta. But Cousins now will have an intriguing talent lurking behind him on the Falcons' depth chart, as Atlanta pulled off one of the most stunning draft picks in recent NFL history by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick on Thursday in Detroit.

Penix was the fourth quarterback off the board. The Falcons took him over Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy—who was projected by many to go as high as No. 4 in the draft—as well as offensive weapons in Washington receiver Rome Odunze and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

Cousins parted ways with the Minnesota Vikings after six seasons largely because the team was expected to select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 draft to eventually replace him—even if he returned on a new deal.

“In Minnesota, it was trending over the last couple offseasons to be somewhat more year-to-year,” Cousins said in his introductory press conference in March. “As we talked with Atlanta, it felt like this is a place where if I play at the level I expect to play, that I can retire a Falcon.

“That was something that really excited me; that’s certainly the goal. You’ve got to earn the right to do that, but that was exciting to feel like I could get that opportunity here.”

Now, with Penix waiting in the wings, he finds himself in an identical—or arguably worse, and certainly more unexpected—situation in Atlanta.

The Falcons boast plenty of offensive weapons to surround a quarterback in running back Bijan Robinson, receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. But instead of using the No. 8 pick to bolster their defense, offensive line or skill positions around Cousins—the 35-year-old who landed a four-year deal worth $180 million deal this offseason off an Achilles injury—the Falcons didn't just take a quarterback, they reached for a quarterback in the draft.

Cousins likely will say all the right things and welcome Penix into his new locker room. But he can't be thrilled with the Falcons' first notable personnel decision since he arrived in Atlanta.