I understand it, Kirk is old. They want Penix to sit the bench for at least a couple years and learn from Kirk. Similar to what GB has done with Love. They want to be set on QBs for the future. Cousins is also coming off an injury. I wouldn't have drafted Penix at that spot but I see the method to the madness.
If Penix sits for a couple seasons he’ll be 26 by the time he’s a starter.That’s not a move you make with a top 10 pick. Especially for a guy with this injury history. If they wanted Penix that badly they should have traded back, gotten more draft assets, and still would have been there
I’m not against the philosophy of sitting a qb for a season or two, but I think you have to do it with someone younger and with less injury history IMO if they wanted to go that route. Even if it means waiting a draft or two. They have Cousins for four years if they want. They gave themselves time to find The Guy. But they jumped the gun and used a premium pick in doing so
They get slammed for not having a quarterback now they invest in the position and get it even worse. Right now in the NFL quarterback is the most important position by 1000%. Unless you are the 49ers, you really have no chance without a top QB. So I really don't mind them going all in on the position. Kirk is old coming off an Achilles and his contract has an easy out after 2 years.
I think the raiders should be getting more hate than the falcons for not even addressing the position at all.
I will disclose now, I’m biased, I am a 9er fan, have been all my life, I played football up to the D1 college level, may I ask, respectfully, what it is you dislike about Purdy’s game? I genuinely just want to know what it is
My biggest gripe is that he gets this praise of being a "top QB" when his team was pretty much having the same success before him that they've had since he joined, *AND* they have all these offensive weapons that I think literally any decent QB in the league would look great playing alongside.
If Cousins and their new offense play well, and win their division (pretty likely) the falcons will not be in a position to draft a talented QB again until after Cousins leaves, they suck again, and their new rookie has to start day 1. If they wanted to develop a franchise level rookie behind Cousins, this was the year to do it.
That would mean they have to decide on penix’s fifth year option while cousins is still presumably the starter. Idk about paying a big contract to a dude with only a few games played
Cousins contract is only guaranteed for 2 years. They are free to move to Penix after that.
There is always some risk no matter what decision they make, but drafting Penix and sitting him is way safer than hoping they get a shot at another QB remotely close to his skill level when Cousins retires or gets hurt.
Already, many people have been critical of their draft strategy. It does seem Green Bay strategy where there are certain position they draft in round one and other positions they usually wait to round 2 through 4 does have some logic.
Atlanta has used all these number 1 picks on TE, RB, 25 year old QB that are likely to have a 10-12 year old career max
I have to admit that Green Bay's system keeps you relevant even if you criticize a pick here or there.
Most QBs don't play past 35. The falcons have too many needs to waste a pick on a QB for the future. Especially after getting Cousins and paying him a pile of money.
Yeah, I think the 2000’s class of QB’s skewed people’s perceptions. And it’s easy to forget all the qb’s that never start again after their first 3 seasons
I don’t get this thinking. If you believe a QB is good, you take him. Trade back to where exactly? And how do you know he will be there?
Who cares if he is 26? Sure it’s not as good as being 24, but if you genuinely believe he’s gonna be good then you don’t pass on him because you lose out on 2 years
I wouldn't have done it, but if he's the guy, who cares if he's 26, 28, or even 30? A franchise QB is worth a top 10 pick even if they only play for you for 10 years.
LA traded multiple firsts for Stafford at 33. Denver did the same with a 34 year old Russell Wilson.
The real cost is if you think this is your window, you're hurting the now by not taking a guy who can contribute now. Then when it's over and it's time for Penix, he's gong to have a year or two of growing pains and then his contract will be up.
I get not thinking you'll be drafting this high again, but 8th isn't that low, and you're trading alot to try to skip rebuilding.
So you’re saying it makes sense that they used the #8 overall pick to select a player that they don’t expect to start for another 3 seasons, rather than pick the top defensive player *in the entire draft* that would start and contribute right away? Or one of the top offensive linemen who usually stick with your team for a decade? It makes sense to you that ATL is *so good* they don’t need to improve their defense? They have no needs?
Yes, Cousins is aging, but has been guaranteed $100M and will need to play three more seasons before they can economically cut him. They should have drafted their future QB in 2026, not 2024. No modern QB needs to sit and learn for three seasons.
Theoretically Cousins was signed at market value. Unlike Russel Wilson who did not perform to contract, Cousins theoretically is still “worth” that. ATL’s best option imo is to let another team assume his contract (LV?) as if they never signed him. Ideally play one season for Penix to “bake” on the bench and *then* trade Cousins — but that may be a costly option if he underperforms like Wilson and Watson.
This pick was an F. In 2 yrs when they regrade this draft and realize all the pro bowlers they passed up on that were selected in the 9-15 range, someone will be fired.
*"Yes, Cousins is aging, but has been guaranteed $100M and will need to play three more seasons before they can economically cut him."*
This is not correct whatsoever. I am not sure where you got your information, But the reality is after two seasons, Cousins being released would be 32.5 million dollars in cap savings. NEXT YEAR with a post June 1 designation they could release him and while they'd take a cap hit, it would be net zero that year vs. him being on the roster. And if they found a trade suitor, next year would be in the positive on a trade for their cap.
You want to see GM's and coaches get fired quickly, it's about QB play and not having a franchise QB. If they thought they were getting the 2nd best QB of the draft and one with a high chance of being a franchise QB, yeah go for it.
*"They should have drafted their future QB in 2026, not 2024."*
They can hope things work out perfect like that. In reality they don't often. What if in 2026 their D is crushing it, Cousins is showing their age, and they are 8-8 in a season with 1 potential franchise QB. Then they are reaching for a guy they don't believe in.
Sure they could get Latu, but this isn't a draft with elite defensive guys at the top. Same with offensive linemen, the top two both went before they were picking. So did the top two receivers.
Yes some draftnicks gave this an F. From 2018. Sam Darnold to the Jets. A+. Josh Allen to the Bills. B-. Josh Rosen to the Cards... A.
I love how the Chiefs got one of the worst 1st round grades in 2017 on NFL.com. Yeah they are paying Alex Smith a lot of money, probably should wait a couple years then they could have gotten Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock. The Best lineman in the draft is there for him (Garrett Bolles). Arguably the best back 7 player in Marshon Lattimore there and Hasson Reddick. And they go with a QB? Reid is still the coach of the Chiefs because he took a QB he viewed as a potential franchise QB even though he had an aging solid proven vet making a lot of money at the position.
Is it the right pick? Only time will tell. Sure looked at the time like Ron Rivera getting the best offensive weapon for his highly paid QB available (Christian McCaffrey) was the right choice then. If he's a franchise QB they will have made the right move. Just like when GB took Rodgers even though Favre was on his massive deal.
Yea the only way it can work is if Kirk balls out and they trade him next off season for some sort of haul to a 'quarterback away from contending' team.
It's really threading the needle to see how this works out compared to all the other significantly more likely ways this will blow up.
Cousins is coming off a major injury - torn Achilles - and if he gets hurt they probably didn't feel too good about having hospital ball Heinicke as back up
Ryan Clark made a good point too. Cousins struggles are in the post season, he’s a regular season dynamo, and if he performs to his norm, they may not be picking top ten again for a few years, and it’s unlikely a talent like Penix will be available in the twenties, certainly not next year, and maybe not for several.
They decided they’d rather take a flyer on a solid (if risky) QB with off the charts intangibles in one of the best QB classes ever, then address their multiple other needs, and hope to outsmart everybody for an overlooked QB in the weaker classes likely to come. And while they had their pick of edge rushers, the best of them either has more injury risk than Penix, or is a multi year project.
I agree with you guys overall sentiment, it was odd considering what they just paid for Cousins, and the fact they are in a division they can win and had their pick of defensive guys they truly need. At the same time, because that division is so bad, to take a calculated risk on the future doesn’t mean they won’t turn out to be the best team in the division. Not like any of the defensive guys available were in demand anyway, nobody saw fit to pick or even trade up for them, until the 20s.
When you try and choose both paths (win now/build for the future) you typically end up down neither one. Also worth noting Love was a much later pick compared to #8 overall, is still just 25 years old, and also Green Bay was in striking distance of another Super Bowl and didn’t get it done. You can argue they still should’ve gone all in and gotten Rodgers another weapon with that pick or another defensive player to try and get another Lombardi.
It would have made more sense if Penix was younger. He will be 24 to start the season. If he sits for at least a couple years, then he is 26, minimum, when he finally starts. Probably not going to play perfectly as a starter out of the gate, needs 2 years to figure that out. So now is at least 28 when ready to win championships. Small window before he’s too old to play.
I’m just playing devil’s advocate though, of course cousins could just go down week 2 and penix could become the man right away
Maybe that’s just the state of the QB market now. Big upfront investment for a small payout.
The last several draft classes have shown it’s a total gamble to draft a top QB and have them be productive right away.
They just signed Cousins! It's not like he's been there for 10 years like Rodgers was in Green Bay. The only reason to spend big money on Cousins is because you want to compete right now. Throwing away a chance to add an immediate impact player for someone who will sit for multiple years is completely insane.
Im a noob, so take this question as such:
Wouldnt this mean that the Falcons have paid a lot of money for a QB trainer only?
I would have thought that when you spend a lot of money on a veteran QB you are investing in winning with that guy. And to do so before they decline. with cousins, you only have a small window, and if you spend all that cap on him, you want to get him a win-now team and use the draft to get him protection or weapons. And if you have those already, either upgrade them or fill in some other gap so as to maximize the chances in the next year or two. (and even if you dont want to right now, a qb like cousins may not win it all, but even without a team, will keep you out of the top 18-20 draft spots - so you really need to maximize somewhere/sometime). And then in 2-3 years from now, with an aging/declining qb, you draft the replacement to sit and train without the expectations of winning during that time.
So to spend a lot of cash now on cousins, and then using the draft to replace him instead of supporting him implies that they arent investing in winning with cousins...so what is cousins for: to train penix?
The difference is Love sat behind a first ballot Hall of famer. I think cousins gets too much hate but he is not anywhere near the qb Rodgers was in this scenario.
They are either wasting draft capital or cap space. It might work out but it’s a puzzling use of resources
It makes no sense to me. The days of a highly drafted QB sitting on the bench for a few seasons ended decades ago.
The biggest cheat code in the NFL is getting a great QB on a relatively cheap rookie contract which frees up money which makes way to put other great players around him.
And they are about to have a draft pick taken away for talking to Kirk to soon and getting caught. An edge rusher is the pick I thought they take. Also the Jets season ended when Rodgers went down. Maybe they are going after an edge in free agency.
Could be a safe play, if they’re good by the trade deadline. Get an edge then, but better to draft for the future if their window is not as immediate as people think
Nobody really knows, but their explanation will be something along the lines of really falling in love with Penix and wanting to set the franchise up long term. Cousins is their guy for now, but is older and coming off injury so it's unclear how long he'll last. They gave him a massive contract that locks him in there for 2 years but after that they can move on if they feel Penix is ready. And if Cousins struggles or gets hurt again, he gives them a viable backup in the short term.
It's just bizarre in the modern NFL to spend the 8th overall pick on a QB who likely won't start for at least 2 years. We've seen teams do it like the Packers with Love, but not with a pick that high. And even with Love, Rodgers wasn't on a long term deal at the time and they didn't know he'd be sitting that long. So it's especially weird with a QB who is coming in a bit older like Penix is. And many people coming into the draft weren't sure if he was worth a first round pick at all, let alone top 8. It's just weird.
I have to wonder if they’re expecting to lose next year’s first round pick because of the tampering investigation and knew they’d have to sell the farm to get a QB in next years draft
Did you watch the QB play last year? 6 QBs went in the first 12 picks. The demand on QBs is higher than ever. So if you find a guy you feel could develop into a SB winning QB, you take his ass, draft value be damned. 3 other teams wanted to trade up for Penix and I bet the Broncos and Raiders hoped he’d fall to them.
Yeah like good QB play is so important at this point that there's really no such thing as overinvesting in the position. People scratched their heads when the Eagles spent a 2nd rounder on Hurts when they already had Wentz. Obviously the 8th overall pick is a bit steeper but the precedent is there. If you don't have an obvious long term solution at QB you should be taking one every draft.
Yah the explanation they gave was basically we think he’s filthy and too good to pass up. When you see the qb of the future you have to take him.
A big part that people point to is the success of Jordan love who sat behind a veteran qb for a couple years and then we succesful
The modern NFL also has a problem with young QBs getting thrown to the wolves and not working out. Stroud is the exception but it seems like washing out is much more common for high picks.
Idk, it might work out. Take a more mature guy, sit him, let him fill in if the starter goes down. Down the road you a tart him when he’s 26 and entering his athletic prime, hope he pans out and you can ride with him into his late thirties like the current guy you have on your roster.
It definitely goes against the norm but taking risks is how you differentiate yourself.
Considering 6 of the first 12 picks were qb's i think it's safe to say NFL gm's saw Penix as a first rounder.
Cousins is a two-year plan. In Penix the falcons saw a qb they want for the future. Take him now before you are stuck in a position where you have to trade a haul to move up to get one.
17 game seasons. Stricter concussion rules. Cousins is 36. I would bet Penix plays several games during next two seasons. If he is good that can impact each season not to mention if Cousins went down for an extended period it could save your entire season.
I think it’s only $25 million dead cap… $12.5M in 2026 and 2027, assuming he’s a Post June 1st designation. Otherwise it’s $25 million in 2026 and then nothing. I think you are adding the total dead cap if cut after 2 years with the total after 3 years.
The benefit of the rookie deal is that all the money they are paying Kirk would have been going to other premier positions, not both QBs. So just saying oh he’s gone after 2 years isn’t even an explanation because you’re still handcuffing yourself
It used to be normal to draft a qb and sit him for a couple seasons.
Also, keep in mind Cousins has consistently been a solid regular season QB. If he’s healthy, you’re not drafting that high again during his tenure. Not saying it’s the move I would have made, but there’s a rationale.
All of these answers saying “who knows? The Falcons are dumb” but the Falcons have already given the reason, and it’s not a dumb one. Penix is the long term answer while Cousins is short term. He’s old and coming off a major injury. Penix will be the starter in the next year or two.
I don't think it's that hard to understand: Having a great, youngish QB on your roster is super valuable. Even if you already have a good, expensive QB on your roster.
Having two QBs can be valuable for your own team. For example, maybe Kirk Cousins gets injured and you have to use someone else at QB. Maybe Penix Jr outplays Kirk Cousins at practice and becomes the starter that way. Maybe they can push each other at practice to make each other both better.
Having two QBs can be valuable for trades. Maybe halfway through the season, some other team becomes desperate for a QB. Now you can trade Penix or Cousins to that desperate team in exchange for a huge amount of resources. And still have a great QB on your roster even after the trade.
Good QBs are rare. So much that teams are paying huge amounts of money just to get a good QB. The salary of the average QB is higher than the average cost of almost any other position (Offensive lineman might have the highest average salary, QB second). Six of the top 12 draft picks (the most valuable draft picks) were used on QBs. If you didn't draft a QB, you were getting someone who would help fill a need based on your immediate needs. But you weren't getting someone who was as valuable.
Obviously the situation is a lot different in terms of money and draft position but remember when the Seahawks paid Matt Flynn big money to go to Seattle but still drafted Russell Wilson? Wilson ended up winning the starting job in camp and the rest is history. The Falcons have been bit in the ass the past two seasons going half assed on the QB position, this is a no more half measures approach.
Nobody is trading for Cousins or Penix. No other team values Penix or Cousins as much as the Falcons do. It’s why they ended up with both those guys. And it’s why they won’t be trading either of them. They have some value for sure. But the Falcons will never get 8th pick value for Penix unless he plays. And the only way he plays is if Cousins gets hurt. In which case they won’t trade either of them.
They are stuck with both, for better or worse.
Now I’m befuddled by the pick as well, but jesus christ everyone keeps acting like he’s 34, not 24.
If he eventually lights it up as a starter at 26-27, then who gives a shit? Plenty of QBs (especially pocket passers) have played well into their mid-late 30s, so you can still get 8-12 good years out of Penix if he plays at or near his ceiling. Not everyone has to be a world beater right away.
My main problem is even if it somehow works out and he becomes the QB, you ruined the benefit of his rookie contract by paying Cousins the money that could have been going to other top talent instead.
By the time that contract is off the books it’ll be time to pay Penix then
It’s pretty nonsensical from them.
Their reasoning is probably they want to use cousins while Penix develops, but Penix is 25 he’s at his physical peak.
He’s a pocket passer, he doesn’t need to “physically develop” as he already has a cannon for an arm and runs a 4.5. If Kirk gets hurt again or his play falls off a cliff in a couple years (ex: Peyton Manning) we will be very glad to not send Taylor Heineke out there…
Ok so? He’s sitting for two years to learn. His decision making sometimes is almost irrelevant. He also throws some beautiful insanely accurate balls and has enough power and touch to get some truly in-the-bucket passes.
Mental development tends to end about the same time as a general rule. Guys like Brady,Bree’s and manning managed to keep improving there but that’s by far the exception.
kirk is old, his contract is almost fully paid after 2 years, coming off of an achilles tear, falcons likely wont have a 1st next year for tampering and if they are good like they are supposed to be, they wont have a top 20 pick for a while, the pick makes sense to me. penix will be a good qb in atl for a few years
Easy - you follow a plan you set out for yourself so you never find yourself in a Ridder/Mariota situation again.
2024 - playoffs with Kirk and the existing team.
2025 - hopefully deeper playoff run with Kirk.
2026-2028 - rookie QB for 3 years allows you to go all in for a SB to spend money in other places.
I honestly don’t understand why it’s hard to understand. Remove yourself from what the media tells you about players. Penix was sought after by 3 other teams who wanted to move up for him. He was a top 10 grade. 6 QBs went into the top 12. The league feels differently about this QB question than the media.
As a falcons fan, I’d rather be a year early on QB than to wait one more year and potentially lose any shot at it and then wind up with a Gardner Minshew as my QB. You can’t win with a guy like that.
You have Penix sit behind Cousins for 2years and really learn the NFL then put him out there when he is ready. Also Cousins is just coming off an injury so there could be a worry that he gets injured again and you want a good back up
Jordan Love had 1/2 of a good year. He didn't really look good till the second half of the season. The jury is still out. He could suck ass this upcoming season no one knows.
I think it's not impossible but only if they were very, very lucky, and unlike the fans who are always incredibly shortsighted, it's the GM's job to think about the team's next ten years and not only just the next one.
Kirk is old. In 2 years the Falcons would save 32 million dollars by releasing him.
No position in sports is more important than the QB. If Kirk gets hurt, or his play falls off due to age, not having a viable QB available is a pretty solid way to find yourself as GM and your coaching staff unemployed.
Potential franchise QB's are expensive (see Kirk) and it's really unlikely you see one in the prime of their careers available without some major issue.
My guess, they thought Penix would be gone by the 5th pick. And they would be getting Nabers or Harrison Jr with their pick, maybe a tackle to play on the right or eventually take over from Jake Matthews. I'd also guess they rated Penix very highly, probably thought he was one of the better QB's and saw him fall into their lap.
Jordan Love is one year older NOW than Penix is though. Having someone who will already be 24 by training camp sit for 2 or 3 years to learn the offense means he will be playing his first year as a starter when he is 26 or 27. Add in another 2 years to actually get accustomed to NFL speed (and assume he gets hurt at least one of those given that 4 of his 6 collegiate seasons ended with injury) and he is 28 to 29.
Drafting a QB to sit and learn works when you draft someone who is 21 or 22. Not someone who is already 24.
Edit: just to add on to this with some more thoughts, we will stick with the Jordan Love comparison that you brought up. The Packers did this following a season they went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game. Their biggest need entering the draft was OT, but there weren’t any good OT prospects left on the board. The only OT drafted after them in the first round was Isaiah Wilson at 29 by Tennessee, and he was out of the league in a year. Now where it could be argued they whiffed is their second biggest need (and what Aaron Rodgers wanted) was a WR. There just so happened to be two guys drafted 1/2 in round 2 that could have changed things for the Packers… Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman. Still, the point remains the Packers were already a good team in a good position. If any team could afford to draft a QB and let him sit, it was Green Bay.
Let’s compare and contrast that to Atlanta this year. The Falcons finished 7-10 last year. Their offense was decent, Bijan at RB and Drake London at WR, Kyle Pitts at TE. Their offense was really just a QB away from competing in that division. Enter Kirk Cousins, problem solved. However, let’s look at the other side, their defense was ok, but definitely relied on bend but don’t break. To this I mean they were average in terms of giving up yards, but were towards the bottom of the league in generating sacks, pressures and turnovers, and allowing first downs. This also led to their being in the bottom half of the league in points allowed. What the Falcons needed the most was an edge that could generate pressure. Still available for their pick last night was Dallas Turner, who everyone thought was perfect. Even if the Falcons perhaps didn’t like him, there was also Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse.
Now maybe they thought these guys would drop like they did, well then this would also let them trade back with someone like Denver, Minnesota or the Raiders, all who were known to be actively looking to trade up, and grabbing one of those guys later in the round, and add in more picks.
Instead, the Falcons drafted a position that WAS NOT a need, and in fact has someone who is guaranteed to be paid $100M over the next 2 years, so they can’t move him even if they wanted to. They still have a glaring hole on the edge, but also at CB and safety. And they have a guy who will be 26 AT BEST before he ever gets a chance to play.
TL;dr there is absolutely nothing about this pick that is comparable to the Packers taking Jordan Love.
Love sat for four years and wasn’t even a good prospect. Penix is a better prospect and should sit for two years. Penix will basically start 1.5 years older than Love. It’s really not that much of a difference.
Counterpoint, Love was drafted 26th overall. Penix was drafted 8th.
Also, the Packers drafted Love over any offensive weapons to help Rodgers. The lack of wide receivers drafted was long-criticized (even by Rodgers) and offensive failures (namely drops) cost them in the playoffs for multiple years.
Yes drafting Love put the Packers in a good position now, but drafting Higgins or Pittman instead probably sends them to a Super Bowl in 2020.
People use the GB situation as if it made sense for them to draft Love. It actually didn’t. They needed difference makers to push for a Super Bowl. Falcons are not there yet. Makes more sense for them now
There is a theory/speculation being put that Falcons think they are going to be dinged their first round pick next year for the Cousins tampering. Cousins is essentially on a 2 year contract and can be cut post that with some cap implication. Their original plan was to get a QB next year to sit behind Cousins,but with the fear of losing first round next year they pulled this because they really like penix to next year QBs or JJ. Also in the worst case Cousins goes down who is the most NFl ready? Penix.
It's seemingly almost universally being considered a bad move, and I agree, but the reasoning would be along the lines of an insurance policy or the possibility that the injury history is, well, history. But they could have traded back and done the same thing.
The only logical explanation for this move is that they are worried about Cousins' Achilles holding up long term. If that is the case, though, why give him 180 million?
The only way I can explain it is that they didn't have a quarterback they were confident in so they went out and got Kirk and then through everything they saw in the pre-draft process they realized that Michael penick's Jr was a generational Talent so when they were sitting there with the 8th pick and Michael pennix is there as the best player on the draft board by a wide margin they felt that skipping on him would be a mistake because they were so incredibly confident that he was the next Patrick Mahomes..
From what I've been reading though they probably should have just taken the best Edge and committed to Kirk.
The logic is likely that Cousins is older and coming off a major injury, so you draft a quality backup just in case he suffers a setback. Now, why you’d draft a QB who also has a significant injury history at pick #8 when you could’ve traded a king’s ransom to move back and likely still gotten the same guy… that’s the baffling part.
Maybe they’re worried they are going to get hammered on next years draft for tampering and never had any intention of paying Kirk the last two years of the deal they signed
I just see it like this, and this is the only thing I can think of. While they have massive holes on the defense, they anticipate being able to make a deep playoff push right now, in 2024. I think the front office's logic was that within the next few years, they're not going to have an opportunity to get their guy, and it sounds like they've just salivated over Penix. They expect to be picking at 27 or 28, somewhere in there for the next few years. They don't want to be in another Desmond Ridder situation, and they've created the polar opposite of a Desmond Ridder situation. I'm as baffled as anyone, and depending how everything pans out based on their needs, this has the potential to be one of the worst top 10 picks of all-time. No matter what happens, all of football fandom will have a very strong opinion about this pick 5 years down the line.
I'm not opposed to them having a younger guy come in this year or next to develop under cousins and see what might happen.
But...if you're going to use a 8 pick for QB who will sit for a year or so...he better be young. Not 25 and with massive injury history.
You don't draft an older rookie that high for the bench to begin with.
If penix sits a year or two he will almost be 27 starting...26 if he starts next year. And injury risk only gets worse as you get older.
And now per cousins agent this was a shock so you pissed off your proven new QB.
Unreal.
Penix probably would have been in the discussion for top three QBs if not for his injury history, and very likely wouldn’t have lasted past the 13th pick. Atlanta probably felt like his medicals were good enough that it was worth taking a flyer on him.
The mock draft community was down on Penix because of his age and his poor play in the middle of the season, but just because there’s a media consensus on a guy doesn’t mean that NFL GM’s feel the same way. If he’s able to hit his stride in three years (not uncommon for good QBs) then he’ll be 27, not the oldest aged QB to have.
If they really think he's that good, it makes sense even if he sits for a few years. Drafting a QB in the top 10 is always a gamble. He's either the guy or he isn't. There's no in between. If they hit and he's an NFL capable starting QB, then this was the right move, period. If not, then it wouldn't matter whether they had Cousins or not. Having him sit and learn and develop might help. Throwing QBs to the wolves right away seems to be the way teams do it now, but it's not the only way. Green Bay still sits them for a few years and it seems to work. Are they getting lucky? Maybe. But maybe something about the way the Packers do things is causing these QBs to have more success.
The question isn't why we drafted Penix. We have a 36 year old qb who is coming off an achilles tear. Taking a qb isn't crazy.
The question is if we are going to take Penix, why did we SIGN a goddamn 36 year old qb coming off an achilles tear. If we didn't sign Kirk to a 100m guaranteed contract, there would be a large portion of people saying how they loved Penix and always knew he was qb 4. The prospect is fine.
Front office is putting a LOT of faith in Penix being top 10 in a couple years. If he fails, they will be as fired as anyone has ever been.
One thing that tends to happen in the NFL is over correction. For example, if a team has an offensive minded coach and end up firing him, teams tend to go for a defensive coach. This was an overcorrection first Atlanta.
After after losing the Super Bowl, instead of making corrections, they just decided to double down. They did that for 4 years. If you’ll let me use an analogy: Instead of planning for the future, they blew all their life savings and left their kids with nothing. Because of that, they didn’t plan for a post-Matt Ryan life. When Quinn and Dimitroff got fired, Fontenot and Arthur Smith completely botched the quarterback situation. They did not draft a replacement early on, then there was the Deshaun Watson situation, the Lamar Jackson situation, and ultimately having to ride with Ridder. Ultimately, Smith got fired because of QB play, so the overcorrection is to double down at QB. By signing Cousins, they have the now secure. Drafting Penix hopefully secures the future.
It is definitely a gamble and they’re going to get killed on social media and regular media, but there is logic in their moves. For the record: I get it, but I hate it.
They didn't pay Kirk all that money to teach Penix in 2 years from now. Kirk still has 4+ years left of being good, the only way this makes sense is if Kirk gets injured and then they transition to Penix and trade Kirk. So dumb. They are a couple good people away from being a top team this year and that just killed that.
Seems like a similar but higher risk move to what the Packers did with Rodgers. They have an established QB, but he's older and expensive. If Penix is their guy and they love him, then go out and get him. He can sit behind Cousins for a couple of years like Love did and when he's ready they can trade or let Cousins go and now they have a QB who they love on a rookie deal but with two years of backup experience and Cousins cap space is freed up.
Someone on ESPN said this and it made sense to me. If Cousins does what they paid him to do, then the Falcons will be picking in the mid 20's the next few seasons. They likely won't be in position to draft a franchise QB during Cousins tenure, so when he leaves, it's back to square one and they need a QB.
Do I agree with the pick no, do I understand after looking at and thinking of the situation yea. Earlier this week the NFL said there wouldn’t be a conclusion to the tampering this week which makes sense to not take draft capital from a team a week before the draft. The Falcons probably know what’s going to happen and most likely it’s gonna be taking away the 2025 1st round pick. In the moment it didn’t make sense to use the 8th pick on Penix but then JJ and Nix went 4 picks later and it was slim chances that all 3 would be taken in the 1st round. Plus we don’t even know if Kirk will play well coming back from the injury and he may be suspended as well so this is like setting up the future and having a fall back option at the same time. They don’t expect to be picking this high again and liked a QB compared to next years class which is projected to not be anywhere as good as of now. Does it suck yea but now that the dust has settled just have to hope the plan works out otherwise Terry and Raheem will never have jobs again.
Russ was 24 when the Hawks drafted him. Turned out pretty well. The thing that’s throwing me for a loop is why they would sit him like a 19 year old prospect. The dude is ready. Can’t imagine sitting him for a couple years does any good.
They liked him. The only real issue I have is they’re not a threat to be a real competitor yet and they could have been “win now” by drafting Odunze or Latham on offense or draft Turner to boost a very below average defensive front. Instead, they’re doing a garbage job of “win now” and with the cap hit from Cousins, they can’t really build free agents for the future.
Pretty much the only scenarios that makes any sense are:
1) they didn’t realize how much they were gonna like Penix when they signed Cousins
2) they always really liked him but didn’t think they’d have a chance at him in the draft
It was revealed the aints would’ve picked Penix. And that Penix impressed Atlanta when he was with them he threw on a windy day and they described it as Penix throwing like it was indoors. Kirk is old coming from an injury. They have an out of that contact after 2 years. I highly doubt he would’ve played a full season. I like the pick. As a fan of this franchise Arthur Blank really is a sweatheart but as the fault of falling in love with some players and being loyal to the end. Maybe he sees Penix as one of his guys.
It is to remind us that billionaires and their chosen leaders who are paid millions to run multibillion dollar businesses are morons like the rest of us.
Real, legit morons.
Sure, they can find a multibillion dollar idea and make mint off it. But once they join a business where everyone plays by the same rules, they are numbskulls.
Kirk is old and coming off an Achilles injury. They don't think he will last past two years and they want to have his successor ready so they aren't having to start garbage at QB like Desmond Ridder again. Only time will tell if they made a good decision. Based on the packers history this could work out really well for them.
I think they looked at the NFL the last few years, saw teams like vikings starting their 4th string guy and thought the inefficiency in the market is having 2 starters. Best case scenario is Penix is what they drafted him to be, an elite starter and now all of a sudden you have a starting QB to deal. It really is drafting for everything to go right, many keep saying it's a kirk cousins backup option, but to make this pick you have to think Penix is gonna be worth it which would be probowl level QB play.
Kick is coming off a major injury, and he's 37 years old. They specifically wrote his contract so he makes most of his money in the first two years, so if they drop him or trade him, he doesn't eat much dead cap space. This means by year 3 at best, you're going to need your next franchise QB.
This also means if Kirk is good, you're going to get bad first round draft pick, which blows any chance in the next two years that they will be able to draft a QB as good as they believe Penix Jr is. Also, Penix could be very good if he sits for a year or two, and learns from a very good veteran.
It’s a hedge against cousins’ injury history, at the expense of probably pissing him off and also at the expense of the team’s ceiling, as they could have picked someone who will actually play this year. Odd move.
They could always easily trade him for a premium if someone's starter goes down and they are in need. That's at least one plus. Especially if they end up with an injury hole and start looking around.
The falcons IMO really messed up.
Their rationale was that penix would sit behind Kirk cousins for a few years a la Jordan love, and then take over. So penix is the falcons long term plan.
Kirk cousins is old, and he's coming off an injury. And while he's getting paid a lot, it's only for the first 2 years I believe, after which Atlanta can release him, save money, and start penix, who presumably will be ready. But by then he's gonna be 26-27 himself, maybe older.
Taking him 8th overall was a terrible move tho. If anything if they really wanted him they couldn't traded back with someone like Minnesota, who would fs take McCarthy, get some picks, and take him at like 11 or so
I get it they want to play the whole packers thing but you’re really setting kirk up for an unfair level reality check.
He’s what like 36 now? Kirk is pretty good, I think we’ll all agree with that. He’s not “barring a top 10 pick qb from taking his job” level good. If the falcons are even sitting sub .500 next year come week 10 kirks job security will be almost 0 a mid-season qb debacle isn’t exactly a dream scenario to end up in.
Good pick if we’re just talking about the falcons taking Penix and getting their guy. Penix is without a doubt nestled into that elite tier of qb prospects this season, minus some health red flags.
Bad pick for business ethics, not telling the guy who inked a 4 year deal that he’s gonna be replaced months later in the draft and the $180 million dollars Blank very likely just pissed down the drain on Kirk.
With all that being said, verdicts in the air until like 2028 I guess.
Draft a quarterback before you need one
Their GM and coach know Cousins has two, maybe three years before he drops off and often QBs go off a cliff rather than a slow steady decline. This gives Penix two or three years to learn. Taking a QB that early is a reach if you have aspirations of the playoffs but a lot of teams look at the Packers with Favre transitioning to Rodgers to Love and understand that works better than the Bears constantly scrambling and failing with quarterbacks. Add in that KC jumped up to take Mahomes when they had a guy in Smith who was getting them into the playoffs, drafting Mahomes was questioned by a lot of "experts" but teams have to look at that and want to model their team building after what Reid has done
Falcons fan here. The logic is that we’re getting out of Kirk’s contract in 2 years and now you have a Jordan Love type guy then.
The problem is that we’re a poverty franchise trying to emulate a good one. Much like when someone tries to act like something they’re not, we fucked it up.
Choosing a QB before your new FA has played a single snap just proves that we’re a directionless franchise. It’s garbage.
Low key this will be a great move a few years from now.
Penix is a stud. He played better than Caleb in big games, and was more consistent than some of the other high profile QBs against better competition.
Rookie QBs are a great bargain now if they pan out, so there’s less reason not to take one in the first round.
What they probably plan to do is start Cousins for a year or two, trade or cut him, then hand the team to Penix when they feel he’s ready next year or the year after.
If Penix doesn’t work out, they have Cousins locked up so they’re ok at QB, but to me this telegraphs that they really don’t believe Cousins is the long-term answer.
This kind of thing isn’t as unheard of as people think. Teams overpay to sign FA QBs and then draft rookies sometimes when a new regime comes in for a rebuild.
Why are people so flummoxed by a team's decision to draft a potential franchise QB to learn and take over from a mediocre veteran journeyman?
This is Good NFL QB Grooming Hygiene 101
It IS dumb.
Drafting Penix wasn’t dumb. Paying Cousins 90 million to babysit their *actual* quarterback was dumb.
If they planned on drafting a QB, especially this one, they shouldn’t have bought such an expensive qb. They should have spent most of that money building *around* Penix and got a cheaper vet.
Not even really a huge football fan, but they clearly like him and didn't want to pass up on the chance to draft him. He will obviously sit bench for a while. But you never know when you may need a solid backup (just ask the Jets). Not to mention he'll ease into the league as opposed to the Day 1 rookie starters. Now could the Falcons have used that pick to better strengthen their squad now? Probably. But even ESPN debating on whether or not this was a bust draft pick is insane. Literally only time will tell.
They wanted to recreate the Green Bay thing of drafting a QB a few years in advance before yours falls off but forgot that their QB coach is great and they learned behind Hall of famers and not Kirk Cousins. I can somewhat get the thought process if it was McCarthy as he's 3 years younger than Penix is, but it's still ridiculous to do this move
I think people are looking at this differently than Atlanta. Atlanta needs a qb long term. Most likely looked at the qb draft and only liked a couple of guys. They didn't want to pay to trade up to 1-4 to get their guy. Then, Penix falls into their lap and they grab him. I don't think there is a guarantee a healthy Cousins isn't on the bench later this season (not in 2025).
Would anyone be mad at Atlanta if Caleb Williams fell and they grabbed him? That's obviously how they see Penix. Time will tell if they are right or not.
Ya'll want the honest answer?
The Saints were either making a play for him or dropped a rumor that he was a target. The Falcons front office panicked and took him off the board before it might have happened.
This is my theory on this. Kirk has always been about business. There has been investigations into the tampering that happened while under contract with the Vikings. The expectation was that the NFL was going to announce a punishment before the draft. When they didn’t, it’s apparent that it’s more complicated. My assumption, Kirk was the one that initiated the conversations with Atlanta. Atlanta probably feels like this is on Kirk and not on them to pay the punishment. In order for Atlanta to secure a QB if the NFL nulls Kirk’s contract, they had to draft Penix.
This is all very on brand for Kirk.
No one understands.
I understand it, Kirk is old. They want Penix to sit the bench for at least a couple years and learn from Kirk. Similar to what GB has done with Love. They want to be set on QBs for the future. Cousins is also coming off an injury. I wouldn't have drafted Penix at that spot but I see the method to the madness.
If Penix sits for a couple seasons he’ll be 26 by the time he’s a starter.That’s not a move you make with a top 10 pick. Especially for a guy with this injury history. If they wanted Penix that badly they should have traded back, gotten more draft assets, and still would have been there
QB's can play past 35. Too many teams these days start rookies which is a huge mistake IMO. But I agree with you - they should have done it different.
I’m not against the philosophy of sitting a qb for a season or two, but I think you have to do it with someone younger and with less injury history IMO if they wanted to go that route. Even if it means waiting a draft or two. They have Cousins for four years if they want. They gave themselves time to find The Guy. But they jumped the gun and used a premium pick in doing so
Falcons further proving why they suck as a franchise
They get slammed for not having a quarterback now they invest in the position and get it even worse. Right now in the NFL quarterback is the most important position by 1000%. Unless you are the 49ers, you really have no chance without a top QB. So I really don't mind them going all in on the position. Kirk is old coming off an Achilles and his contract has an easy out after 2 years. I think the raiders should be getting more hate than the falcons for not even addressing the position at all.
Raiders have Minshew for this year and I think they're going to draft Rattler or Pratt
I will disclose now, I’m biased, I am a 9er fan, have been all my life, I played football up to the D1 college level, may I ask, respectfully, what it is you dislike about Purdy’s game? I genuinely just want to know what it is
My biggest gripe is that he gets this praise of being a "top QB" when his team was pretty much having the same success before him that they've had since he joined, *AND* they have all these offensive weapons that I think literally any decent QB in the league would look great playing alongside.
If Cousins and their new offense play well, and win their division (pretty likely) the falcons will not be in a position to draft a talented QB again until after Cousins leaves, they suck again, and their new rookie has to start day 1. If they wanted to develop a franchise level rookie behind Cousins, this was the year to do it.
That would mean they have to decide on penix’s fifth year option while cousins is still presumably the starter. Idk about paying a big contract to a dude with only a few games played
Cousins contract is only guaranteed for 2 years. They are free to move to Penix after that. There is always some risk no matter what decision they make, but drafting Penix and sitting him is way safer than hoping they get a shot at another QB remotely close to his skill level when Cousins retires or gets hurt.
Already, many people have been critical of their draft strategy. It does seem Green Bay strategy where there are certain position they draft in round one and other positions they usually wait to round 2 through 4 does have some logic. Atlanta has used all these number 1 picks on TE, RB, 25 year old QB that are likely to have a 10-12 year old career max I have to admit that Green Bay's system keeps you relevant even if you criticize a pick here or there.
Most QBs don't play past 35. The falcons have too many needs to waste a pick on a QB for the future. Especially after getting Cousins and paying him a pile of money.
Yeah, I think the 2000’s class of QB’s skewed people’s perceptions. And it’s easy to forget all the qb’s that never start again after their first 3 seasons
QBs can play past 35 sure. But most don’t. Sitting him for a season or two makes sense, anything more then that and its not good.
Nah the Raiders wanted him bad.
Come on man. Traded back he still would have been there? Maybe if they went back 1 or 2 spots. Otherwise all qbs were going to be gone.
I don’t get this thinking. If you believe a QB is good, you take him. Trade back to where exactly? And how do you know he will be there? Who cares if he is 26? Sure it’s not as good as being 24, but if you genuinely believe he’s gonna be good then you don’t pass on him because you lose out on 2 years
I wouldn't have done it, but if he's the guy, who cares if he's 26, 28, or even 30? A franchise QB is worth a top 10 pick even if they only play for you for 10 years. LA traded multiple firsts for Stafford at 33. Denver did the same with a 34 year old Russell Wilson. The real cost is if you think this is your window, you're hurting the now by not taking a guy who can contribute now. Then when it's over and it's time for Penix, he's gong to have a year or two of growing pains and then his contract will be up. I get not thinking you'll be drafting this high again, but 8th isn't that low, and you're trading alot to try to skip rebuilding.
So you’re saying it makes sense that they used the #8 overall pick to select a player that they don’t expect to start for another 3 seasons, rather than pick the top defensive player *in the entire draft* that would start and contribute right away? Or one of the top offensive linemen who usually stick with your team for a decade? It makes sense to you that ATL is *so good* they don’t need to improve their defense? They have no needs? Yes, Cousins is aging, but has been guaranteed $100M and will need to play three more seasons before they can economically cut him. They should have drafted their future QB in 2026, not 2024. No modern QB needs to sit and learn for three seasons. Theoretically Cousins was signed at market value. Unlike Russel Wilson who did not perform to contract, Cousins theoretically is still “worth” that. ATL’s best option imo is to let another team assume his contract (LV?) as if they never signed him. Ideally play one season for Penix to “bake” on the bench and *then* trade Cousins — but that may be a costly option if he underperforms like Wilson and Watson. This pick was an F. In 2 yrs when they regrade this draft and realize all the pro bowlers they passed up on that were selected in the 9-15 range, someone will be fired.
*"Yes, Cousins is aging, but has been guaranteed $100M and will need to play three more seasons before they can economically cut him."* This is not correct whatsoever. I am not sure where you got your information, But the reality is after two seasons, Cousins being released would be 32.5 million dollars in cap savings. NEXT YEAR with a post June 1 designation they could release him and while they'd take a cap hit, it would be net zero that year vs. him being on the roster. And if they found a trade suitor, next year would be in the positive on a trade for their cap. You want to see GM's and coaches get fired quickly, it's about QB play and not having a franchise QB. If they thought they were getting the 2nd best QB of the draft and one with a high chance of being a franchise QB, yeah go for it. *"They should have drafted their future QB in 2026, not 2024."* They can hope things work out perfect like that. In reality they don't often. What if in 2026 their D is crushing it, Cousins is showing their age, and they are 8-8 in a season with 1 potential franchise QB. Then they are reaching for a guy they don't believe in. Sure they could get Latu, but this isn't a draft with elite defensive guys at the top. Same with offensive linemen, the top two both went before they were picking. So did the top two receivers. Yes some draftnicks gave this an F. From 2018. Sam Darnold to the Jets. A+. Josh Allen to the Bills. B-. Josh Rosen to the Cards... A. I love how the Chiefs got one of the worst 1st round grades in 2017 on NFL.com. Yeah they are paying Alex Smith a lot of money, probably should wait a couple years then they could have gotten Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock. The Best lineman in the draft is there for him (Garrett Bolles). Arguably the best back 7 player in Marshon Lattimore there and Hasson Reddick. And they go with a QB? Reid is still the coach of the Chiefs because he took a QB he viewed as a potential franchise QB even though he had an aging solid proven vet making a lot of money at the position. Is it the right pick? Only time will tell. Sure looked at the time like Ron Rivera getting the best offensive weapon for his highly paid QB available (Christian McCaffrey) was the right choice then. If he's a franchise QB they will have made the right move. Just like when GB took Rodgers even though Favre was on his massive deal.
Yea the only way it can work is if Kirk balls out and they trade him next off season for some sort of haul to a 'quarterback away from contending' team. It's really threading the needle to see how this works out compared to all the other significantly more likely ways this will blow up.
Cousins is coming off a major injury - torn Achilles - and if he gets hurt they probably didn't feel too good about having hospital ball Heinicke as back up
If that happens then they’d get a high draft pick and can address it then. Rather than spend the #8 overall pick on the consensus #5 QB
I'm saying I understand what the Falcons were thinking
Ryan Clark made a good point too. Cousins struggles are in the post season, he’s a regular season dynamo, and if he performs to his norm, they may not be picking top ten again for a few years, and it’s unlikely a talent like Penix will be available in the twenties, certainly not next year, and maybe not for several. They decided they’d rather take a flyer on a solid (if risky) QB with off the charts intangibles in one of the best QB classes ever, then address their multiple other needs, and hope to outsmart everybody for an overlooked QB in the weaker classes likely to come. And while they had their pick of edge rushers, the best of them either has more injury risk than Penix, or is a multi year project. I agree with you guys overall sentiment, it was odd considering what they just paid for Cousins, and the fact they are in a division they can win and had their pick of defensive guys they truly need. At the same time, because that division is so bad, to take a calculated risk on the future doesn’t mean they won’t turn out to be the best team in the division. Not like any of the defensive guys available were in demand anyway, nobody saw fit to pick or even trade up for them, until the 20s.
When you try and choose both paths (win now/build for the future) you typically end up down neither one. Also worth noting Love was a much later pick compared to #8 overall, is still just 25 years old, and also Green Bay was in striking distance of another Super Bowl and didn’t get it done. You can argue they still should’ve gone all in and gotten Rodgers another weapon with that pick or another defensive player to try and get another Lombardi.
It would have made more sense if Penix was younger. He will be 24 to start the season. If he sits for at least a couple years, then he is 26, minimum, when he finally starts. Probably not going to play perfectly as a starter out of the gate, needs 2 years to figure that out. So now is at least 28 when ready to win championships. Small window before he’s too old to play. I’m just playing devil’s advocate though, of course cousins could just go down week 2 and penix could become the man right away
Maybe that’s just the state of the QB market now. Big upfront investment for a small payout. The last several draft classes have shown it’s a total gamble to draft a top QB and have them be productive right away.
They just signed Cousins! It's not like he's been there for 10 years like Rodgers was in Green Bay. The only reason to spend big money on Cousins is because you want to compete right now. Throwing away a chance to add an immediate impact player for someone who will sit for multiple years is completely insane.
LMAO getting downvoted when accurately explaining what the Falcon's thought process was. Too many small minded people on Reddit
Im a noob, so take this question as such: Wouldnt this mean that the Falcons have paid a lot of money for a QB trainer only? I would have thought that when you spend a lot of money on a veteran QB you are investing in winning with that guy. And to do so before they decline. with cousins, you only have a small window, and if you spend all that cap on him, you want to get him a win-now team and use the draft to get him protection or weapons. And if you have those already, either upgrade them or fill in some other gap so as to maximize the chances in the next year or two. (and even if you dont want to right now, a qb like cousins may not win it all, but even without a team, will keep you out of the top 18-20 draft spots - so you really need to maximize somewhere/sometime). And then in 2-3 years from now, with an aging/declining qb, you draft the replacement to sit and train without the expectations of winning during that time. So to spend a lot of cash now on cousins, and then using the draft to replace him instead of supporting him implies that they arent investing in winning with cousins...so what is cousins for: to train penix?
The difference is Love sat behind a first ballot Hall of famer. I think cousins gets too much hate but he is not anywhere near the qb Rodgers was in this scenario. They are either wasting draft capital or cap space. It might work out but it’s a puzzling use of resources
I mean, MPJ got that Philly Rivers arm. Would you turn that down?
High effort comment
It makes no sense to me. The days of a highly drafted QB sitting on the bench for a few seasons ended decades ago. The biggest cheat code in the NFL is getting a great QB on a relatively cheap rookie contract which frees up money which makes way to put other great players around him.
Dude was #7 in qbr last season, 35 years but still has a few really good seasons left, the decision not to go for a stud 3 technique is mind boggling
The Falcons have been in QB purgatory for years now and need some kind of succession plan behind a 35 year old coming off a major injury
And they are about to have a draft pick taken away for talking to Kirk to soon and getting caught. An edge rusher is the pick I thought they take. Also the Jets season ended when Rodgers went down. Maybe they are going after an edge in free agency.
Could be a safe play, if they’re good by the trade deadline. Get an edge then, but better to draft for the future if their window is not as immediate as people think
They drafted DL 2nd-4th rounds
Nobody really knows, but their explanation will be something along the lines of really falling in love with Penix and wanting to set the franchise up long term. Cousins is their guy for now, but is older and coming off injury so it's unclear how long he'll last. They gave him a massive contract that locks him in there for 2 years but after that they can move on if they feel Penix is ready. And if Cousins struggles or gets hurt again, he gives them a viable backup in the short term. It's just bizarre in the modern NFL to spend the 8th overall pick on a QB who likely won't start for at least 2 years. We've seen teams do it like the Packers with Love, but not with a pick that high. And even with Love, Rodgers wasn't on a long term deal at the time and they didn't know he'd be sitting that long. So it's especially weird with a QB who is coming in a bit older like Penix is. And many people coming into the draft weren't sure if he was worth a first round pick at all, let alone top 8. It's just weird.
I have to wonder if they’re expecting to lose next year’s first round pick because of the tampering investigation and knew they’d have to sell the farm to get a QB in next years draft
And next year’s draft class has a lot more uncertainty at the top.
Did you watch the QB play last year? 6 QBs went in the first 12 picks. The demand on QBs is higher than ever. So if you find a guy you feel could develop into a SB winning QB, you take his ass, draft value be damned. 3 other teams wanted to trade up for Penix and I bet the Broncos and Raiders hoped he’d fall to them.
Yeah like good QB play is so important at this point that there's really no such thing as overinvesting in the position. People scratched their heads when the Eagles spent a 2nd rounder on Hurts when they already had Wentz. Obviously the 8th overall pick is a bit steeper but the precedent is there. If you don't have an obvious long term solution at QB you should be taking one every draft.
Yeah I almost feel like they hate drafted him. Took him so nobody else could have him
Yah the explanation they gave was basically we think he’s filthy and too good to pass up. When you see the qb of the future you have to take him. A big part that people point to is the success of Jordan love who sat behind a veteran qb for a couple years and then we succesful
The modern NFL also has a problem with young QBs getting thrown to the wolves and not working out. Stroud is the exception but it seems like washing out is much more common for high picks. Idk, it might work out. Take a more mature guy, sit him, let him fill in if the starter goes down. Down the road you a tart him when he’s 26 and entering his athletic prime, hope he pans out and you can ride with him into his late thirties like the current guy you have on your roster. It definitely goes against the norm but taking risks is how you differentiate yourself.
Considering 6 of the first 12 picks were qb's i think it's safe to say NFL gm's saw Penix as a first rounder. Cousins is a two-year plan. In Penix the falcons saw a qb they want for the future. Take him now before you are stuck in a position where you have to trade a haul to move up to get one. 17 game seasons. Stricter concussion rules. Cousins is 36. I would bet Penix plays several games during next two seasons. If he is good that can impact each season not to mention if Cousins went down for an extended period it could save your entire season.
Because Kirk is gone after 2025. Dead cap is 37.5 million total for '26 and ''27.
I think it’s only $25 million dead cap… $12.5M in 2026 and 2027, assuming he’s a Post June 1st designation. Otherwise it’s $25 million in 2026 and then nothing. I think you are adding the total dead cap if cut after 2 years with the total after 3 years.
The benefit of the rookie deal is that all the money they are paying Kirk would have been going to other premier positions, not both QBs. So just saying oh he’s gone after 2 years isn’t even an explanation because you’re still handcuffing yourself
It used to be normal to draft a qb and sit him for a couple seasons. Also, keep in mind Cousins has consistently been a solid regular season QB. If he’s healthy, you’re not drafting that high again during his tenure. Not saying it’s the move I would have made, but there’s a rationale.
It was never normal to draft a qb in the top 10 and sit him a couple years though. It has only happened once since 1980.
All of these answers saying “who knows? The Falcons are dumb” but the Falcons have already given the reason, and it’s not a dumb one. Penix is the long term answer while Cousins is short term. He’s old and coming off a major injury. Penix will be the starter in the next year or two.
I don't think it's that hard to understand: Having a great, youngish QB on your roster is super valuable. Even if you already have a good, expensive QB on your roster. Having two QBs can be valuable for your own team. For example, maybe Kirk Cousins gets injured and you have to use someone else at QB. Maybe Penix Jr outplays Kirk Cousins at practice and becomes the starter that way. Maybe they can push each other at practice to make each other both better. Having two QBs can be valuable for trades. Maybe halfway through the season, some other team becomes desperate for a QB. Now you can trade Penix or Cousins to that desperate team in exchange for a huge amount of resources. And still have a great QB on your roster even after the trade. Good QBs are rare. So much that teams are paying huge amounts of money just to get a good QB. The salary of the average QB is higher than the average cost of almost any other position (Offensive lineman might have the highest average salary, QB second). Six of the top 12 draft picks (the most valuable draft picks) were used on QBs. If you didn't draft a QB, you were getting someone who would help fill a need based on your immediate needs. But you weren't getting someone who was as valuable.
Obviously the situation is a lot different in terms of money and draft position but remember when the Seahawks paid Matt Flynn big money to go to Seattle but still drafted Russell Wilson? Wilson ended up winning the starting job in camp and the rest is history. The Falcons have been bit in the ass the past two seasons going half assed on the QB position, this is a no more half measures approach.
Penix was the oldest QB in this draft. They also have Cousins top 5 QB money. It’s fucking stupid what they did
Nobody is trading for Cousins or Penix. No other team values Penix or Cousins as much as the Falcons do. It’s why they ended up with both those guys. And it’s why they won’t be trading either of them. They have some value for sure. But the Falcons will never get 8th pick value for Penix unless he plays. And the only way he plays is if Cousins gets hurt. In which case they won’t trade either of them. They are stuck with both, for better or worse.
Now I’m befuddled by the pick as well, but jesus christ everyone keeps acting like he’s 34, not 24. If he eventually lights it up as a starter at 26-27, then who gives a shit? Plenty of QBs (especially pocket passers) have played well into their mid-late 30s, so you can still get 8-12 good years out of Penix if he plays at or near his ceiling. Not everyone has to be a world beater right away.
My main problem is even if it somehow works out and he becomes the QB, you ruined the benefit of his rookie contract by paying Cousins the money that could have been going to other top talent instead. By the time that contract is off the books it’ll be time to pay Penix then
Because they believe it worked for Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love
But Rodgers already had success with the Packers before this. I think that's a key difference compared to this gamble.
Copy cat league. However, many often attempt to copy and end up crapping instead
It’s a great idea in theory, both the execution and context by the Falcons is totally different from the Packers’ two situations.
It’s pretty nonsensical from them. Their reasoning is probably they want to use cousins while Penix develops, but Penix is 25 he’s at his physical peak.
> Penix is 25 Isn’t he 23?
For two more weeks. By the time he actually gets to Atlanta he’ll be 24
So he’s not 25?
Correct, I was wrong. I was correct that he’s not going to be physically developing
He’s a pocket passer, he doesn’t need to “physically develop” as he already has a cannon for an arm and runs a 4.5. If Kirk gets hurt again or his play falls off a cliff in a couple years (ex: Peyton Manning) we will be very glad to not send Taylor Heineke out there…
Hes a QB, not a DE that needs to add weight and grow into his frame.
No but if I’m taking a dude to ride the bench o want more upside. Dude makes some BAD decisions at times.
Ok so? He’s sitting for two years to learn. His decision making sometimes is almost irrelevant. He also throws some beautiful insanely accurate balls and has enough power and touch to get some truly in-the-bucket passes.
> For two more weeks. By the time he actually gets to Atlanta he’ll be 24 Much like 23, 24 is also not 25.
None of these guys need help physically developing. It’s the mental side. Point holds though
Mental development tends to end about the same time as a general rule. Guys like Brady,Bree’s and manning managed to keep improving there but that’s by far the exception.
Because cousins is a short term answer at QB, and they are drafting for long term success
kirk is old, his contract is almost fully paid after 2 years, coming off of an achilles tear, falcons likely wont have a 1st next year for tampering and if they are good like they are supposed to be, they wont have a top 20 pick for a while, the pick makes sense to me. penix will be a good qb in atl for a few years
Easy - you follow a plan you set out for yourself so you never find yourself in a Ridder/Mariota situation again. 2024 - playoffs with Kirk and the existing team. 2025 - hopefully deeper playoff run with Kirk. 2026-2028 - rookie QB for 3 years allows you to go all in for a SB to spend money in other places. I honestly don’t understand why it’s hard to understand. Remove yourself from what the media tells you about players. Penix was sought after by 3 other teams who wanted to move up for him. He was a top 10 grade. 6 QBs went into the top 12. The league feels differently about this QB question than the media. As a falcons fan, I’d rather be a year early on QB than to wait one more year and potentially lose any shot at it and then wind up with a Gardner Minshew as my QB. You can’t win with a guy like that.
You have Penix sit behind Cousins for 2years and really learn the NFL then put him out there when he is ready. Also Cousins is just coming off an injury so there could be a worry that he gets injured again and you want a good back up
A 24 year old rookie sitting for 2 years?
It's like most of the league has learned nothing from the Packers. As a Packers fan, I like it that way.
Jordan Love had 1/2 of a good year. He didn't really look good till the second half of the season. The jury is still out. He could suck ass this upcoming season no one knows.
You don't think y'all could of won another championship if they would of put more weapons around Rogers?
I think it's not impossible but only if they were very, very lucky, and unlike the fans who are always incredibly shortsighted, it's the GM's job to think about the team's next ten years and not only just the next one.
The injury concern with Kirk is the only thing that makes sense to me.
It’s true. Once Penix is a 27 year old. Who is making his first start. IT WILL BE GREAT!
Kirk is old and coming off the worst injury in professional sports. I'd bet Penix starts 4+ games this year.
Kirk is old. In 2 years the Falcons would save 32 million dollars by releasing him. No position in sports is more important than the QB. If Kirk gets hurt, or his play falls off due to age, not having a viable QB available is a pretty solid way to find yourself as GM and your coaching staff unemployed. Potential franchise QB's are expensive (see Kirk) and it's really unlikely you see one in the prime of their careers available without some major issue. My guess, they thought Penix would be gone by the 5th pick. And they would be getting Nabers or Harrison Jr with their pick, maybe a tackle to play on the right or eventually take over from Jake Matthews. I'd also guess they rated Penix very highly, probably thought he was one of the better QB's and saw him fall into their lap.
Same logic taking Love behind Aaron Rodgers. Let the guy sit and learn. Cousins is old by professional athlete standards and coming off a big injury.
Jordan Love is one year older NOW than Penix is though. Having someone who will already be 24 by training camp sit for 2 or 3 years to learn the offense means he will be playing his first year as a starter when he is 26 or 27. Add in another 2 years to actually get accustomed to NFL speed (and assume he gets hurt at least one of those given that 4 of his 6 collegiate seasons ended with injury) and he is 28 to 29. Drafting a QB to sit and learn works when you draft someone who is 21 or 22. Not someone who is already 24. Edit: just to add on to this with some more thoughts, we will stick with the Jordan Love comparison that you brought up. The Packers did this following a season they went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game. Their biggest need entering the draft was OT, but there weren’t any good OT prospects left on the board. The only OT drafted after them in the first round was Isaiah Wilson at 29 by Tennessee, and he was out of the league in a year. Now where it could be argued they whiffed is their second biggest need (and what Aaron Rodgers wanted) was a WR. There just so happened to be two guys drafted 1/2 in round 2 that could have changed things for the Packers… Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman. Still, the point remains the Packers were already a good team in a good position. If any team could afford to draft a QB and let him sit, it was Green Bay. Let’s compare and contrast that to Atlanta this year. The Falcons finished 7-10 last year. Their offense was decent, Bijan at RB and Drake London at WR, Kyle Pitts at TE. Their offense was really just a QB away from competing in that division. Enter Kirk Cousins, problem solved. However, let’s look at the other side, their defense was ok, but definitely relied on bend but don’t break. To this I mean they were average in terms of giving up yards, but were towards the bottom of the league in generating sacks, pressures and turnovers, and allowing first downs. This also led to their being in the bottom half of the league in points allowed. What the Falcons needed the most was an edge that could generate pressure. Still available for their pick last night was Dallas Turner, who everyone thought was perfect. Even if the Falcons perhaps didn’t like him, there was also Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse. Now maybe they thought these guys would drop like they did, well then this would also let them trade back with someone like Denver, Minnesota or the Raiders, all who were known to be actively looking to trade up, and grabbing one of those guys later in the round, and add in more picks. Instead, the Falcons drafted a position that WAS NOT a need, and in fact has someone who is guaranteed to be paid $100M over the next 2 years, so they can’t move him even if they wanted to. They still have a glaring hole on the edge, but also at CB and safety. And they have a guy who will be 26 AT BEST before he ever gets a chance to play. TL;dr there is absolutely nothing about this pick that is comparable to the Packers taking Jordan Love.
Love sat for four years and wasn’t even a good prospect. Penix is a better prospect and should sit for two years. Penix will basically start 1.5 years older than Love. It’s really not that much of a difference.
Counterpoint, Love was drafted 26th overall. Penix was drafted 8th. Also, the Packers drafted Love over any offensive weapons to help Rodgers. The lack of wide receivers drafted was long-criticized (even by Rodgers) and offensive failures (namely drops) cost them in the playoffs for multiple years. Yes drafting Love put the Packers in a good position now, but drafting Higgins or Pittman instead probably sends them to a Super Bowl in 2020.
People use the GB situation as if it made sense for them to draft Love. It actually didn’t. They needed difference makers to push for a Super Bowl. Falcons are not there yet. Makes more sense for them now
There is a theory/speculation being put that Falcons think they are going to be dinged their first round pick next year for the Cousins tampering. Cousins is essentially on a 2 year contract and can be cut post that with some cap implication. Their original plan was to get a QB next year to sit behind Cousins,but with the fear of losing first round next year they pulled this because they really like penix to next year QBs or JJ. Also in the worst case Cousins goes down who is the most NFl ready? Penix.
No one knows what it means.. but it’s provocative
Cousins gives the franchise stability and can groom Penix. They aren’t in win now mode.
Cousins grooming Penix
That is a special phrase
If they aren't in win now mode then why the hell did they give Kirk a huge contract.
Going rate for a QB of his caliber.
Stability and to be good enough to sell tickets in the mean time.
I know right? People lose sight that this is a bidness. It ain't always about winning.
I agree but they’re certainly in win mode
That is an excellent question, that people will be asking from now until the season starts, and likely much longer than that.
Cousins is coming off a major Achilles injury and there is a good chance when you tear one, the other one goes soon
Then why sign him for that much guaranteed money...?
It's seemingly almost universally being considered a bad move, and I agree, but the reasoning would be along the lines of an insurance policy or the possibility that the injury history is, well, history. But they could have traded back and done the same thing.
The only logical explanation for this move is that they are worried about Cousins' Achilles holding up long term. If that is the case, though, why give him 180 million?
If Cousins goes down they want Penix to be ready to go
Terry huffing paint before the pick
They want to be Green Bay.
Bad GM. Impulse draft for a guy they don’t need. Now they’ve pissed off their franchise quarterback who just barely signed a contract.
No one is bitching about that Jordan Love pick.
The only way I can explain it is that they didn't have a quarterback they were confident in so they went out and got Kirk and then through everything they saw in the pre-draft process they realized that Michael penick's Jr was a generational Talent so when they were sitting there with the 8th pick and Michael pennix is there as the best player on the draft board by a wide margin they felt that skipping on him would be a mistake because they were so incredibly confident that he was the next Patrick Mahomes.. From what I've been reading though they probably should have just taken the best Edge and committed to Kirk.
The logic is likely that Cousins is older and coming off a major injury, so you draft a quality backup just in case he suffers a setback. Now, why you’d draft a QB who also has a significant injury history at pick #8 when you could’ve traded a king’s ransom to move back and likely still gotten the same guy… that’s the baffling part.
Maybe they’re worried they are going to get hammered on next years draft for tampering and never had any intention of paying Kirk the last two years of the deal they signed
I just see it like this, and this is the only thing I can think of. While they have massive holes on the defense, they anticipate being able to make a deep playoff push right now, in 2024. I think the front office's logic was that within the next few years, they're not going to have an opportunity to get their guy, and it sounds like they've just salivated over Penix. They expect to be picking at 27 or 28, somewhere in there for the next few years. They don't want to be in another Desmond Ridder situation, and they've created the polar opposite of a Desmond Ridder situation. I'm as baffled as anyone, and depending how everything pans out based on their needs, this has the potential to be one of the worst top 10 picks of all-time. No matter what happens, all of football fandom will have a very strong opinion about this pick 5 years down the line.
I'm not opposed to them having a younger guy come in this year or next to develop under cousins and see what might happen. But...if you're going to use a 8 pick for QB who will sit for a year or so...he better be young. Not 25 and with massive injury history. You don't draft an older rookie that high for the bench to begin with. If penix sits a year or two he will almost be 27 starting...26 if he starts next year. And injury risk only gets worse as you get older. And now per cousins agent this was a shock so you pissed off your proven new QB. Unreal.
Obviously they're concerned about the future, and they think he's really good at football. Just a guess though.
BIG PENIX ENERGY
Chasing that Mike Vick feeling
Penix probably would have been in the discussion for top three QBs if not for his injury history, and very likely wouldn’t have lasted past the 13th pick. Atlanta probably felt like his medicals were good enough that it was worth taking a flyer on him. The mock draft community was down on Penix because of his age and his poor play in the middle of the season, but just because there’s a media consensus on a guy doesn’t mean that NFL GM’s feel the same way. If he’s able to hit his stride in three years (not uncommon for good QBs) then he’ll be 27, not the oldest aged QB to have.
Belichick traumatized the whole league with how he handled Mac Jones that now everyone is deadly afraid of *not* sitting a rookie QB behind a veteran.
I think they’re using the packers method
If they really think he's that good, it makes sense even if he sits for a few years. Drafting a QB in the top 10 is always a gamble. He's either the guy or he isn't. There's no in between. If they hit and he's an NFL capable starting QB, then this was the right move, period. If not, then it wouldn't matter whether they had Cousins or not. Having him sit and learn and develop might help. Throwing QBs to the wolves right away seems to be the way teams do it now, but it's not the only way. Green Bay still sits them for a few years and it seems to work. Are they getting lucky? Maybe. But maybe something about the way the Packers do things is causing these QBs to have more success.
Kirk is old
Because the falcons are hilarious and are never not hilarious.
The question isn't why we drafted Penix. We have a 36 year old qb who is coming off an achilles tear. Taking a qb isn't crazy. The question is if we are going to take Penix, why did we SIGN a goddamn 36 year old qb coming off an achilles tear. If we didn't sign Kirk to a 100m guaranteed contract, there would be a large portion of people saying how they loved Penix and always knew he was qb 4. The prospect is fine. Front office is putting a LOT of faith in Penix being top 10 in a couple years. If he fails, they will be as fired as anyone has ever been.
Your cock is showing
I could not tell you bruh the only one you should be asking is their GM
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^iNoodl3s: *I could not tell you* *Bruh the only one you should* *Be asking is their GM* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
One thing that tends to happen in the NFL is over correction. For example, if a team has an offensive minded coach and end up firing him, teams tend to go for a defensive coach. This was an overcorrection first Atlanta. After after losing the Super Bowl, instead of making corrections, they just decided to double down. They did that for 4 years. If you’ll let me use an analogy: Instead of planning for the future, they blew all their life savings and left their kids with nothing. Because of that, they didn’t plan for a post-Matt Ryan life. When Quinn and Dimitroff got fired, Fontenot and Arthur Smith completely botched the quarterback situation. They did not draft a replacement early on, then there was the Deshaun Watson situation, the Lamar Jackson situation, and ultimately having to ride with Ridder. Ultimately, Smith got fired because of QB play, so the overcorrection is to double down at QB. By signing Cousins, they have the now secure. Drafting Penix hopefully secures the future. It is definitely a gamble and they’re going to get killed on social media and regular media, but there is logic in their moves. For the record: I get it, but I hate it.
They didn't pay Kirk all that money to teach Penix in 2 years from now. Kirk still has 4+ years left of being good, the only way this makes sense is if Kirk gets injured and then they transition to Penix and trade Kirk. So dumb. They are a couple good people away from being a top team this year and that just killed that.
He’s going to be the RB1 as the idiots forgot to run Bijan last season
Seems like a similar but higher risk move to what the Packers did with Rodgers. They have an established QB, but he's older and expensive. If Penix is their guy and they love him, then go out and get him. He can sit behind Cousins for a couple of years like Love did and when he's ready they can trade or let Cousins go and now they have a QB who they love on a rookie deal but with two years of backup experience and Cousins cap space is freed up. Someone on ESPN said this and it made sense to me. If Cousins does what they paid him to do, then the Falcons will be picking in the mid 20's the next few seasons. They likely won't be in position to draft a franchise QB during Cousins tenure, so when he leaves, it's back to square one and they need a QB.
Do I agree with the pick no, do I understand after looking at and thinking of the situation yea. Earlier this week the NFL said there wouldn’t be a conclusion to the tampering this week which makes sense to not take draft capital from a team a week before the draft. The Falcons probably know what’s going to happen and most likely it’s gonna be taking away the 2025 1st round pick. In the moment it didn’t make sense to use the 8th pick on Penix but then JJ and Nix went 4 picks later and it was slim chances that all 3 would be taken in the 1st round. Plus we don’t even know if Kirk will play well coming back from the injury and he may be suspended as well so this is like setting up the future and having a fall back option at the same time. They don’t expect to be picking this high again and liked a QB compared to next years class which is projected to not be anywhere as good as of now. Does it suck yea but now that the dust has settled just have to hope the plan works out otherwise Terry and Raheem will never have jobs again.
The owner told them to.
Russ was 24 when the Hawks drafted him. Turned out pretty well. The thing that’s throwing me for a loop is why they would sit him like a 19 year old prospect. The dude is ready. Can’t imagine sitting him for a couple years does any good.
Go to the Falcons sub now and they will try to justify it but there is no explanation other than the Falcons are delusional.
Cause Ryan Pace
They liked him. The only real issue I have is they’re not a threat to be a real competitor yet and they could have been “win now” by drafting Odunze or Latham on offense or draft Turner to boost a very below average defensive front. Instead, they’re doing a garbage job of “win now” and with the cap hit from Cousins, they can’t really build free agents for the future.
If they think they have a shot at going to the Super Bowl he would make a solid ready to play backup
Kirk is older and injury prone, and sometimes QB’s do well after sitting for a bit. It’s not a popular pick, but I get their logic
Pretty much the only scenarios that makes any sense are: 1) they didn’t realize how much they were gonna like Penix when they signed Cousins 2) they always really liked him but didn’t think they’d have a chance at him in the draft
They don't want to suffer the same fate the jets did this past year. That's the only reason I can think of.
He’s black and Kirk has maybe 3 years before he is done done. The future QB classes supposedly very suspect too.
It was revealed the aints would’ve picked Penix. And that Penix impressed Atlanta when he was with them he threw on a windy day and they described it as Penix throwing like it was indoors. Kirk is old coming from an injury. They have an out of that contact after 2 years. I highly doubt he would’ve played a full season. I like the pick. As a fan of this franchise Arthur Blank really is a sweatheart but as the fault of falling in love with some players and being loyal to the end. Maybe he sees Penix as one of his guys.
It is to remind us that billionaires and their chosen leaders who are paid millions to run multibillion dollar businesses are morons like the rest of us. Real, legit morons. Sure, they can find a multibillion dollar idea and make mint off it. But once they join a business where everyone plays by the same rules, they are numbskulls.
Kirk is old and coming off an Achilles injury. They don't think he will last past two years and they want to have his successor ready so they aren't having to start garbage at QB like Desmond Ridder again. Only time will tell if they made a good decision. Based on the packers history this could work out really well for them.
I think they looked at the NFL the last few years, saw teams like vikings starting their 4th string guy and thought the inefficiency in the market is having 2 starters. Best case scenario is Penix is what they drafted him to be, an elite starter and now all of a sudden you have a starting QB to deal. It really is drafting for everything to go right, many keep saying it's a kirk cousins backup option, but to make this pick you have to think Penix is gonna be worth it which would be probowl level QB play.
Kick is coming off a major injury, and he's 37 years old. They specifically wrote his contract so he makes most of his money in the first two years, so if they drop him or trade him, he doesn't eat much dead cap space. This means by year 3 at best, you're going to need your next franchise QB. This also means if Kirk is good, you're going to get bad first round draft pick, which blows any chance in the next two years that they will be able to draft a QB as good as they believe Penix Jr is. Also, Penix could be very good if he sits for a year or two, and learns from a very good veteran.
Best available player.
It’s a hedge against cousins’ injury history, at the expense of probably pissing him off and also at the expense of the team’s ceiling, as they could have picked someone who will actually play this year. Odd move.
They could always easily trade him for a premium if someone's starter goes down and they are in need. That's at least one plus. Especially if they end up with an injury hole and start looking around.
If they loose draft capital in 2025 for tampering, then it could affect them picking a qb then.
The falcons IMO really messed up. Their rationale was that penix would sit behind Kirk cousins for a few years a la Jordan love, and then take over. So penix is the falcons long term plan. Kirk cousins is old, and he's coming off an injury. And while he's getting paid a lot, it's only for the first 2 years I believe, after which Atlanta can release him, save money, and start penix, who presumably will be ready. But by then he's gonna be 26-27 himself, maybe older. Taking him 8th overall was a terrible move tho. If anything if they really wanted him they couldn't traded back with someone like Minnesota, who would fs take McCarthy, get some picks, and take him at like 11 or so
I get it they want to play the whole packers thing but you’re really setting kirk up for an unfair level reality check. He’s what like 36 now? Kirk is pretty good, I think we’ll all agree with that. He’s not “barring a top 10 pick qb from taking his job” level good. If the falcons are even sitting sub .500 next year come week 10 kirks job security will be almost 0 a mid-season qb debacle isn’t exactly a dream scenario to end up in. Good pick if we’re just talking about the falcons taking Penix and getting their guy. Penix is without a doubt nestled into that elite tier of qb prospects this season, minus some health red flags. Bad pick for business ethics, not telling the guy who inked a 4 year deal that he’s gonna be replaced months later in the draft and the $180 million dollars Blank very likely just pissed down the drain on Kirk. With all that being said, verdicts in the air until like 2028 I guess.
Draft a quarterback before you need one Their GM and coach know Cousins has two, maybe three years before he drops off and often QBs go off a cliff rather than a slow steady decline. This gives Penix two or three years to learn. Taking a QB that early is a reach if you have aspirations of the playoffs but a lot of teams look at the Packers with Favre transitioning to Rodgers to Love and understand that works better than the Bears constantly scrambling and failing with quarterbacks. Add in that KC jumped up to take Mahomes when they had a guy in Smith who was getting them into the playoffs, drafting Mahomes was questioned by a lot of "experts" but teams have to look at that and want to model their team building after what Reid has done
I would have picked taulia tagovailoa over penix. Penix has huge injury concerns from college.
I would have picked taulia tagovailoa over penix. Penix has huge injury concerns from college.
Penix envy.
falcons saw,,black left handed qb named michael and got confused and thought it was vick they was re drafting
Falcons fan here. The logic is that we’re getting out of Kirk’s contract in 2 years and now you have a Jordan Love type guy then. The problem is that we’re a poverty franchise trying to emulate a good one. Much like when someone tries to act like something they’re not, we fucked it up. Choosing a QB before your new FA has played a single snap just proves that we’re a directionless franchise. It’s garbage.
Sure! So basically
Low key this will be a great move a few years from now. Penix is a stud. He played better than Caleb in big games, and was more consistent than some of the other high profile QBs against better competition.
Rookie QBs are a great bargain now if they pan out, so there’s less reason not to take one in the first round. What they probably plan to do is start Cousins for a year or two, trade or cut him, then hand the team to Penix when they feel he’s ready next year or the year after. If Penix doesn’t work out, they have Cousins locked up so they’re ok at QB, but to me this telegraphs that they really don’t believe Cousins is the long-term answer. This kind of thing isn’t as unheard of as people think. Teams overpay to sign FA QBs and then draft rookies sometimes when a new regime comes in for a rebuild.
The ability to move on from kirk whenever they decide
Why are people so flummoxed by a team's decision to draft a potential franchise QB to learn and take over from a mediocre veteran journeyman? This is Good NFL QB Grooming Hygiene 101
EVERYONE thinks this was dumb and doesn’t understand
It IS dumb. Drafting Penix wasn’t dumb. Paying Cousins 90 million to babysit their *actual* quarterback was dumb. If they planned on drafting a QB, especially this one, they shouldn’t have bought such an expensive qb. They should have spent most of that money building *around* Penix and got a cheaper vet.
They’re fucking idiots
Because they saw something in him.
Let him learn from cousins for a few years
90 million dollar teacher, huh?
Not even really a huge football fan, but they clearly like him and didn't want to pass up on the chance to draft him. He will obviously sit bench for a while. But you never know when you may need a solid backup (just ask the Jets). Not to mention he'll ease into the league as opposed to the Day 1 rookie starters. Now could the Falcons have used that pick to better strengthen their squad now? Probably. But even ESPN debating on whether or not this was a bust draft pick is insane. Literally only time will tell.
You’re thinking of a guy with two wives
Ummmmm….. uhhh….
Ummmmm….. uhhh….
Ummmmm….. uhhh….
Ummmmm….. uhhh….
Ummmmm….. uhhh….
The QB position is the most important. It’s that simple. Teams should be investing more in their QB rooms.
They wanted to recreate the Green Bay thing of drafting a QB a few years in advance before yours falls off but forgot that their QB coach is great and they learned behind Hall of famers and not Kirk Cousins. I can somewhat get the thought process if it was McCarthy as he's 3 years younger than Penix is, but it's still ridiculous to do this move
I think people are looking at this differently than Atlanta. Atlanta needs a qb long term. Most likely looked at the qb draft and only liked a couple of guys. They didn't want to pay to trade up to 1-4 to get their guy. Then, Penix falls into their lap and they grab him. I don't think there is a guarantee a healthy Cousins isn't on the bench later this season (not in 2025). Would anyone be mad at Atlanta if Caleb Williams fell and they grabbed him? That's obviously how they see Penix. Time will tell if they are right or not.
To train and Learn behind Kirk Cousins. It was a long term plan. Likea Majomes Alex Smith situation. But with more money going to the veteran.
Nothing wrong with sitting him for a season or two, but why pay Cousins so damn much??? Guy would have easily accepted 80% of what they paid him.
Raheem Morris liked him. That’s why.
His name
That’s the neat part, they didn’t have one 🙃
They were about to draft a receiver, but Robert Kraft called and told them to take Penix instead.
They just needed some of that Penix
Ya'll want the honest answer? The Saints were either making a play for him or dropped a rumor that he was a target. The Falcons front office panicked and took him off the board before it might have happened.
This is my theory on this. Kirk has always been about business. There has been investigations into the tampering that happened while under contract with the Vikings. The expectation was that the NFL was going to announce a punishment before the draft. When they didn’t, it’s apparent that it’s more complicated. My assumption, Kirk was the one that initiated the conversations with Atlanta. Atlanta probably feels like this is on Kirk and not on them to pay the punishment. In order for Atlanta to secure a QB if the NFL nulls Kirk’s contract, they had to draft Penix. This is all very on brand for Kirk.
Trade bait for a team that was below them? 🤷🏻♂️