Atlanta Falcons waste assets with Penix Jr. pick, Cousins contract | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC 

The owner should hire the future GM and coach to shadow the current ones.

Brilliant choice. Quality player, quality person. Atlanta is lucky to have him.

The Falcons liked Penix 45 days ago and has him as QB1 on their board considering the Top 3 guys were gonna be drafted before pick #8. Coulda saved that $100 million and build up the defense.

I love how everybody is commenting that the falcons have to have cousins for four years. They literally don’t. After his second year, they would save 32.8 million in cap space by cutting or trading him. Two years on the bench will have penix well prepared to step into the starter role. It’s not as bad as everybody thinks it is. This might be the only shot to have a franchise quarterback. They won’t be drafting in the top 10 as long as they have cousins so it was now or never.

I don’t think it’s hard to understand why they made this move. It’s pretty dámn smart actually. They legitimately tricked Kirk into thinking he was the franchise guy by writing it on paper with a large contract, but showed to everyone their real franchise QB is Penix. The big money contract to Cousins is irrelevant to their draft process because they can get out of it after two years with him being $18 million against the cap in dead money on average for 2026 and 2027, and if Penix works out, his big money deal won’t start until 2029. It wasn’t a pick for right now, it was a pick for the future. The team around them is solid right now, 11th in total defense a year ago, 8th against the pass, with an incoming defensive coach who should improve the defense. They used their next four picks on defense after the Penix pick, so fans who were clammering for a defense got a haul of players. I’m not sure what Atlanta fans were thinking by being so desperate for a defensive end. That’s not gonna help them compete with San Francisco, Detroit, Dallas, or Philly. They can address that need next year or in free agency. But they’re not winning the Super Bowl this year.. The move makes perfect sense to me.

I love it. In MN they intentionally never had anyone that would remotely challenge Kirk for QB1. Kirk can't handle pressure.

Does Simms even remember the draft? He was hammered!!

Gonna be hilarious if Penix just all out wins the job in training camp.

Hearing the Coach & GM speak makes me think Arthur Blank wanted Kirk but Coach/GM had the reactions we all did: 35, coming off an Achilles, 1 playoff win, can’t win games that kickoff at 12pm. So they made the decision to just draft the replacement right now.

Blank made the call. He cleaned the staff out, reduced McKay's role. He's getting old and getting impatient. Why have an inexperienced GM and HC just happy to be there? Because they'll do what you tell them. Belichick wouldn't.

Time will tell regarding Atlanta. They aren’t going to win anything with Cousins other than regular season games. They won’t be drafting this high again. In two years they move to Penix. If he becomes a franchise qb it will work out.

Falcons fans please make sure you keep these receipts. A lot of the experts will all of a sudden develop amnesia or move the goal post.

As a Bucs fan, I love it that these guys are with the Falcons…

You either wasted 100 million dollars/rookie QB contract OR you wasted your 1st round pick. You need to pick a lane. Trying to WIN now and trying to WIN later means you won't win now OR win later. This the DUMBEST WASTE OF RESOURCES IN NFL HISTORY!!! Even their draft was a DEVELOPMENTAL DRAFT. This is NOT like a GB move or a KC move or a SD move BECAUSE NONE OF THOSE teams just signed a vet QB to 100 million guaranteed dollar deal.

Love the pick

if the Falcons didn't think they were close to being a contender.....they should have NEVER signed an aging veteran QB for that much money. They HAD to know they would have a shot at a QB at pick #8......they should have used the money they gave Cousins to sign free agents to supplement the rest of the team as they ushered in a new franchise QB with pick #8. Sign a veteran to get them thru this season if they didn't feel comfortable putting a rookie out there from day 1. But to sign Cousins and then draft Penix makes no sense. You know this will lead to a QB controversy at some point and that is never a good thing. Could divide the locker room as well. Penix will be the QB by 2025 and they will have to take the salary cap hit from Cousins and it will keep them from being a contender for a few more seasons. One of the great things about having a QB on a rookie deal is that it gives the team so much more money to spread to other positions. They can take the $40 mil (QB salary) and build up the offensive line or the defense while paying the new QB nearly nothing. But the Falcons in essence are paying the QB over $40 mil a year regardless of who is under center.

This is getting overblown. The most Kirk is going to be starting is 2 years. If he gets hurt over that time period you have an NFL ready guy. Kirk will not be starting for 4 years.

This is the best take. The Falcons basically outsmarted themselves. At the prompting of NO ONE. At least both players in the equation are getting paid. Only the fans are left wondering what the hell their team is doing.

100M guaranteed + a 1st round pick isn’t a lot of assets to invest in a QB room (non guaranteed money is essentially just a team option). For comparison… Cleveland invested 230M guaranteed + 6 picks including 3 1sts for Watson. Broncos invested $185M guaranteed + 6 picks including 2 1sts for Wilson Rams invested $130M guaranteed + 2 1sts and a 3rd round pick for Stafford Saints invested 100M guaranteed for Derek Carr.

I get that Kirk's feelings might be hurt but as these two said, he is old, has a knee injury, has never won any high stakes game and talent level is middling at best. My guess is he plays in Atlanta for 2 years and Penix starts in 2026 if not sooner due to injury or performance decline. We structured Kirk's contract to say as much, its really a two year with a cap hit if we jump ship year 3 and not paying Penix negates that hit. We will have Penix starting for 3 years on a rookie contract and can build towards it over the next two years to give him a 5-10 year chance at a title. All we did is solidify the most important position and create competition in a room that was empty the last 3 years. Lastly, maybe we didn't think anyone in the 1st defensively was worth the pick either or even had Penix as worth a 3rd pick and felt 8th was a great value?

There's a reason never in NFL History has any NFL Team paid a huge contract to a free agent QB & then use their 1st round pick on a QB. It's a dumb move & the only guaranteed Winner for the next 5-6 years is whoever had this idea because you cant even grade the pick on performance until Penix has had a couple years under his belt & it will be 2029 by that time. So whoever had this idea is safe for 4-5 years but if this turns out bad they will be ever remembered for this choice. I'm a 35 Year Falcons Fan & I have no idea why anyone in Atlanta is hyped about a 1st Round draft pick they won't even see for 3-4 years. All I can say is no one that's in charge in Atlanta right now has given me any reason to have faith in them. Trust is earned & what's been going on the past 3 years in Atlanta gives me no belief that the next 5 will be any different. I like the Cousins move but rejecting an all time great coach & then not addressing an immediate need in the 1st Round tells me the Falcons Brass will find a way to fail.

This is the dumbest take…of all the bad takes. I’m floored at how dumb it is. KC just got paid 100mil guaranteed. How he may react with a young good player in the locker room is crazy. He is an adult and a professional. They talk about it like they are in high school.

This is a great example of why some franchises are successful consistently, and others are bad consistently.

I think everyone assumes they wanted to draft him at 8 when they didn't. They wanted to draft him late in the early 2nd round. Meaning trade down draft a DE then trade back up and draft Penix that was the plan. Nobody thought the market for Penix was going to take off like that. Nobody did or planned on it. Because of his injury history and thwy didn't think he was mobile enough. Then he threw at the combine.snd everybody said ohh damn." Then his medicals turned out to be all Green, meaning he was super good. Everybody said ohh damn again." Then he ran at his pro day and ran a 4.5 4.6 40 and had a 32-inch vertical, and folks said here we go. All of a sudden, his stock went threw the damn roof. Everybody wanted a private workout. You can't deny talent. Man, Penix is the only QB since Mahones at TexTech to throw back to back seasons of 45k passing yards. The man led his team to a National Title game. It is what it is. 4 damn teams called the Falcons trying to trade up to get Penix....All of that, we we're going to trade back up to get him in the late first early 2nd round, thought went right out the window. Nobody thought that many QBs were going that early in the 1st nobody! So lets cut the crap. They Signed Cousins thinking that Penix woukd be available late 1st early second. They had to change plans and draft him at 8. That's how it goes sometimes. The Falcons are the talk of sports right now....good bad or indifferent....publicity is publicity 😂 if nobody is talking about you. it's cause you are not making waves. The Falcons are making Big Waves....and they got the best thrower in the draft. Like it or not, he's one of the better young QBs in the League now. And he's a Damn Dirty Bird.

I disagree with Mike and Chris on this one. ATL having drafted Penix was strategically correct. Cousins is a skilled QB and now he can't afford to become complacent. ATL put him under the kind of pressure which might result in Cousins playing on his highest level. He was saying that he got a lot of money during his career, but he wants to win a Super Bowl. ATL is showing they are now actually a competitor. A team with two QB1s can fulfill high expectations. Also, ATL did make sure to draft some defensive players too.

Great job pointing out the challenges this creates , stupid is as stupid does !!!

Atlanta's GM & coach think they're smarter than everyone else in the room. If Penix was/is the answer, then just draft him at #8 without signing Cousins! If anything, it's shady as hell if this was their plan but didn't include Cousins on it. No way Cousins signs with them if he knew they were selecting Penix at #8. Dirty Birds indeed. 🗑

What about the Trey Lance Pick, and ALL the other top 5 QB draft busts? Why is this getting more outrage than all of those? Where's the outrage for those wastes of assets?

The Owner instantly regretted passing on Bill.

Florio dry snitchin to start his segment is the most Florio thing to do. Lol

Honestly I never understood why Atlanta even signed Kirk. For me Penix isn’t the problem, the problem is you gave an old guy coming off a major injury a 4 year 180 mil contract with 100 mil guaranteed. If they don’t sign Cousins and they draft Penix everyone is excited. Even if Kirk was healthy he’s never proven himself to be elite. If you’re an Atlanta fan you really should be mad about Kirk

The Falcon think they wont be picking that high again so they grabbed a QB. They are wrong and this was a complete waste of a draft pick.

Three teams tried to trade into that pick to get Penix. It isn't just the fact that the Falcons could have drafted someone else. There was a bidding war going on and it was a seller's market. The falcons could have gotten the most return value by trading the pick.

The falcons didnt want to start a rookie. Smart move to sit him behind a top 10 QB for a few years. They said weeks ago they were going to draft a QB. Just because you dont like their plan doesnt mean they didnt have one.

Dude said sign Menshew then seat the player. Can’t take these guys seriously.

I think you got 2 QBs who are pissed. You think Pennix wants to hear that he may sit for 4 years? What is his bargaining value for his next contract if he doesn't see the field.

This approach to drafting has worked wonders for Chris Grier in Miami. He routinely drafts “projects” in the first 3 rounds of the draft knowing they won’t immediately contribute to the existing team. That way he can go to Stephen Ross after another playoff defeat in the 1st round and tell him about the future of the team.

The title is absurd....... Michael was the best player in every game that he played in last year..... Including against USC and Oregon.......

They loved Penix so much and signed Cousins 4 yr/ $180m as a smokescreen! :)

They wasted assets with the cousins contract, not drafting pennix jr. 🤫

What could go wrong with paying huge bucks to a 36 year old QB coming off of a serious season ending injury and then drafting high a 24 year old QB who had two season ending injuries.

This is not Favre/Rodgers/Love at all, this is a 24 year old rookie with a bad injury history and Cousins has guaranteed big money... this was just dumb.

When the players and the fans see Penix in preseason flinging that ball, the 💩 is going to hit fan.

What are you guys talking about? It's the best situation for penix. He is going to be the starter and carry the team. Lol

Florio nailed it. This is NOTHING like packers and rogers.

Falcons made the draft fun. If it doesn’t work out someone is going to lose their job.

The Falcons GM, Terry Fontenot is the best young GM in the league and the duo of Fontenot and Coach Morris is running the show. Get over it!!! They are both bright minds, forward thinkers, articulate, leader of men. KC picked Mahommes when they had Smith. The Packers picked Rogers when they had Favre, picked Love when they had Rogers. Chargers picked Rivers when they had Brees. Yall shut the hell up. Kirk Cousins will be 36 when the season starts and coming off of a non contact injury, he maybe butt hurt, but he knows this is business...its why he came to the ATL and left Vikings because of the money. These guys supposed to be experts. Once again shut the hell up. 😆

they just wasted a INCREDIBLE resource: 100 million on Kirk/Rookie Contract or 1st Round Pick on a QB

Honestly, I don't get the backlash. The Falcons take a guy that lots of teams and evaluators thought was worthy of a 1st round pick or even some said top 10 pick at the most valuable position in sports. They didn't expend extra draft capital to get to him like Carolina did to get Bryce Young. He gets to sit, not behind some journeyman who should only hold a clipboard, but behind a guy who might just be the best QB in the league from a preparation standpoint. What's not to love? I mean from a logic standpoint, the Kansas City Chiefs had more explaining to do about drafting Patrick Mahomes. They gave up an additional 1st round and 3rd round pick in that move up to pick him at #10. I'm not saying Penix is going to be Mahomes or anything close. I'm just stating from a ready to play in the league standpoint, most people didn't think Mahomes was a pro style guy and most people think Penix is ready to go from day 1. But in hindsight, we can say KC was smart to get a QB before they needed one and the price they paid was well worth the end result.

Media is basically saying .. Penix may be better than Kirk already and that's what makes the pick questionable. No matter how much Penix was downplayed, all the signs point to, everybody believed he was a top 2 QB in this class objectively speaking.

I'm a lifelong Falcons fan who has come to peace with the Michael Penix selection. When the selection was announced on Thursday night I HATED it. I wanted Atlanta to trade back and select a pass rusher. I'm still not completely sold on the Penix selection but I at least understand it, now. Having to endure Marcus Mariotta and Desmond Ridder the last two seasons made it abundantly clear how important it is to have a top-tier quarterback if you want to be a SB contender. The Falcons have a strong enough roster that they shouldn't be picking in the top-10 for a while. I'd rather be early on selecting our next (potential) franchise quarterback than in a position where Kirk Cousins is washed up and we're picking 19th in a bad quarterback draft. If Cousins plays awesome, Atlanta has a really good backup. If Kirk disappoints, they have a guy on the bench that could be their next QB for a decade. Had Atlanta taken a pass rusher with their first round pick they win, what, one extra game? Again, I'm not completely sold on my own argument ☝️but I'm at least okay with it.

It was unfair to both Cousin and Penix. Cousin felt betrayed and Penix gonna have to deal with a drama that he have no part created

QB is the most valuable position in all of sports. Falcons are now potentially set for a decade. I’ve been a Falcons fan for 25 years and this is the smartest decision they’ve made since drafting Matt Ryan.

Seahawks ended up eating Flynn’s huge contract when they took a chance on starting Wilson. That worked out well.

To me this is obvious. The falcons wanted pennix to not play until he was absolutely ready. Nobody wins superbowl in their first 2 years anyway and learning behind a starting caliber qb is the best thing for any young qb. I know people believe that if he has what it takes he'll figure it out if you just throw him out there but all evidence suggest that sitting is whats best because any qb can lose confidence without proper support. Its not a mental toughness thing

You know what's funny. The move was very smart. Kirk Cousins is coming off a major injury. Micheal penix was the best quarterback in that draft and they knew he wasn't going to be available.

As a true Atlanta falcon fan welcome to atlanta bay

My understanding is that teams load up to win the Super Bowl. Atlanta had first round opportunity to load up, but instead, chose CONTINUITY.

I left the room just before this pick and when I returned I saw that Atlanta took Penix. I thought there was an error in the graphic. This is probably a stupid pick but there’s really only a couple ways this pays off, and one includes Cousins getting injured. It’s possible as it happened last year. But if that happens the Falcons GM will look like a genius. Otherwise it was probably a very bad pick.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crazier draft pick with a pick that high. 😂

Arthur Blank should have fired the entire front office the moment they made that selection.

The 30 for 30 on teams passing Michael Penix Jr in about 20 years

... Kirk maybe mentioned we wanted Penix while the Tampering was in progress.

They are really embarrassing themselves in these press conferences. They haven't got a clue what they're doing.

So if you had no info about why , what do you base your negative option on ? The fact that your note formed ?

It makes complete sense if you're pragmatic and look at the new longer NFL season and more frequent injuries especially with the most important position on the field, quarterback.. it will be a miracle Kirk cousins is not injured by week 10. After that everybody will understand what's the two quarterbacks, what's not understandable is Kirk cousins contract..

If Penix ends up being a Tier 1 starter then it was all worth it and then some. It’s too early to try and grade this draft pick but of course Florio has to find fault wherever he can and criticize them from his high horse, even though he’s never been a GM, never been a scout, never worked for an NFL team and would assuredly do worse than every single team employee out there

Everyone knew … that’s why the odds were so ridiculous it wasn’t worth betting on

Falcons underestimated the blow back I think. Raiders should bail out the Falcons and offer 2025 1st and 2nd for Penix

all they had to do was wait til their pick 35. they wasted 8 overall

Penix was a very smart pick you forgot Kirk cousins is 37 and coming off of Achilles injury. Aaron Rogers did the same thing and he was injured the fourth play of last year. The jets season was over. I’m not saying they are the same but an Achilles isn’t a sprain ankle…🙏🏾 so having him there for now and or later is very smart look at the jets

Damn,,,,,, Kirk = Mr. Money You are going to get another Contract !! Wow Keep going Kirk!!!

Say what you want, but i would rather be the falcons who doubled down on the most important position in all of football, QB. As opposed to the Giants who refuse to move on from their mistake now going into year 6. Giants have not drafted a QB since overdrafting Daniel Jones in 2019

You guys are spot on

Owner: I want Kirk GM/ HC: We want Penix Jr.

The fact that a qb with one playoff win and coming off a major injury was given 180 million is the problem

The Seahawks need to trade with the falcons to pickup Micheal Penix Jr and bring him back to the Northwest

Terry is going to be linked to this forever lol. SMH

Bill Belichick knew what he was doing when he passed on this shitshow.

Kurt Warner on an interview before the draft had said that Michael Penix is the best QB coming out of this draft. Atlanta Falcons got a steel and everybody is salty.

Penix does have a rifle. If Atlanta was paying attention they would have known Penix would be available at #8. That’s the part I don’t get. If you draft a QB that spent 6 years in college 24 years old when season starts should be starting day 1. He’s not a developmental QB

these are the guys who said Sam darnold was amazing and the giants drafted Danny who will never see the field. watch this kid become the best qb in this draft class

If I was Mike McCartney, I'd dive into unswam waters and see if a world exists if the raiders can afford kirk cousins, void out contract , let kirk give back whatever money that s already sitting in account and see if the falcons are willing to pay Gardiner mineshew whatever to play for maybe a half season . See if that kind of swap could be done. This sounds crazy but - basically- kirk cousins who not only thought he'd retire a falcon but had confidence he'd secure another bag in 2 years in form of an extension if he played up to those specifications but now has to be in mvp contention in year one OR take the falcons to nfc title game where they're an obvious underdog, he plays well but falcons fall short. That's quite a floor for any qb , let alone one coming off significant non contact injury . I add that cause Mr. Cousins has missed zero games in 12 years due to injury ( contact ). Then , when Penix Jr. comes in and throws the football an entire football stadium but against nfl defense just can't make the layered football throws ( even the 13 yard lay ups) against nfl defenses ( all mutants nfl defense 2024) , the falcons might have to sell the team . That's how bad the backlash could be . You also have a 24 year old rookie has a bigger injury history than the 35 year old you just gave a 180 m / 4 year to ( yes, only 100 of it is real or 135 over 3). Smh

I would push back on Cousins arm evaluation, but the rest is spot on. Cousins arm is absolutely elite, and next gen stats back that up.

If you had Penix as the 2nd best quarterback in the draft and he falls to 8 you draft him simple

I’m a Colts fan and my wife being an Atlanta native is a Falcons fan and I said to her “Imagine telling me that we’re taking Laiatu Latu @15 which we did but he isn’t going to play until 26 or 27 at the earliest barring injury maybe”. You NEVER take a player in the 1st round with the intent to sit them for years that’s ridiculous! No fanbase will get behind that logic 🤦🏾. She’s confused as we all are by the Falcons moves 🤷🏾.

What’s also stupid is that the Falcons may have tampered with Cousins before Free Agency, and if they lose a pick over that, the Penix pick makes it worse. Sure they’ll lose nothing more than a 3rd round pick in 2025, but that could have been your new running back or safety, which you would use to embarrass your current RB & safety too.

“When the owner, General Manager, head coach, and quarterback are on the same page, that’s when you have really a chance to go win a Super Bowl,” Cousins said.

The best you could describe this is that Pennix is insurance for Cousins. Frankly, he could be playing a whole lot more than people are anticipating. Old man Cousins has a mean injury, and it's brutal to recover from at that age.

This strategy is dumb because either; A: Cousins plays great and maintains the starting job for 3 years, but without a star WR picked at #7 the team falls short each year, or B: Penix quickly takes over, but you are missing 100million bucks in cap space to build around him.

There were 66 DIFFERENT starting quaterbacks last season. Aaron Rogers went down on the first series of the season. The quaterback position will cost $300,000,000 going forward. You better get who you want instead of taking what you can.

I'm not defending the pick, but 'You like that?!' Kirk Cousins is the best Kirk Cousins and this move will probably facilitate that version of him for the entirety of his time in Atlanta.

Imagine that, the thought of developing a qb is unfathomable to a vikings fan...

Alot of peoples true COLORS are coming out with this OUTSTANDING pick... interesting.

This has to be one of the worst takes from a GM..... Wow.... Poor ATL fans

You're saying assets are at a premium, but it's not worth having a minimum contract on a top shelf quarterback to back up and aging one? I don't really understand how you can square those two ideas

The only bad thing was giving Cousins that ridiculous contract. Drafting Penix was the best thing they actually could've done. How many playoff wins did Counsins have in Minnesota? Washington? Therefore, what the hell is he supposed to do in Atlanta? Stop the bull 💩. He will be starting after a year.

This is the reason Poles gave Fields away. No distractions. Falcons are what the Bears would have been for years. Sorry

The Falcons organization probably feels like they're right there and all they needed was a quarterback to get them to the Super Bowl this year

“This is an implicit, if not flat out, indictment of what they think they truly have in Kirk Cousins.” 🤣🤣🤣