Many people thought the Atlanta Falcons stabbed Kirk Cousins in the back by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
During this Friday’s introductory press conference, Penix was asked if he spoke to Cousins about joining the Falcons. It turns out they already had a conversation on Thursday night.
“Yes, he did reach out,” Penix said. “We had a very good conversation. He reached out last night. I’m going to keep it between me and him right now, but it was definitely a good conversation. I’m super excited to work with him. He said he’s the same with me.”
That’s encouraging to hear, especially since Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, told NFL Network that Atlanta didn’t give them an early warning about the move.
“It was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming,” McCartney said. “The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation.”
The Falcons gave Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal this offseason. That type of deal would signal that he’s the starter for at least the next two seasons.
However, the Falcons could let Penix compete for the job if he shines in training camp.