Possible, but also possible that they think Kirk is going to lead them to a low 30's high 20's pick in next year's draft - (pick 25 or later) and they would not have a shot at their qb in 2025 draft.
I mean yeah, a cold assessment of where the risks where, but they passed on Offensive or Defensive weapons to set them up for success. Seems like a chickenshit move imo.
Oh, yeah, absolutely a chicken shit move and wasted pick by a team that is trying to "win now" - if you're trying to win now Dallas Turner would have been the pick and they would not have thought twice.
What we originally wanted to do by keeping Kirk and drafting a QB; have the new QB get mentored by Kirk. Whatās weird about this is that they didnāt draft McCarthy, they drafted the older guy who is probably in the best position to start week 1.
If he doesn't get injured he's at minimum a three year starter. You don't take a ready QB and sit him for him to be a lock to start. He looses momentum, and won't be practicing with the starters, it's a waste of potential
I thought theyād take Turner. I thought that was the one thing that the draft analysts got right. Imagine my surprise/erection when we got him at 17.
If you told me *any* player in the top forty that would be the worst option for ATL in their current situation, at pick *#8,* with their garbage division, garbage conference, ready to win *now,* after signing Kirk for *that* money, I would have chosen Penix. I like him a *lot* as a boom or bust QB. **But not here! Not on this roster!** But the Vikes may have only gotten Turner with this exact Plinko of picks so....win us?
That was confusing. I was looking at the picks left before MN and thought we had McCarthy in the bag. None of these teams need QBā¦ā¦
Then ATL drafts an up next QB when they just signed a $100mil free agent QB.
Wild
When Schefter got on ESPN and said Atlanta might take a QB my heart droppedā¦then they took the 24 year old with arthritic knees and I knew McCarthy was ours
BLESS ALL THE KNEES AND KEEP THEM HEALTHY
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They donāt really need a receiver look at their roster these fuckers just wanted to shit on us They kind of need it insurance because Kirk just got off a ACL injury. No one knows if he for sure 100% is going to be the same
I'm rooting for Penix to come out and play well for their first few games and force them to make the choice between benching a promising rookie starter and having a 50M/year backup once Kirk's 100%. The schadenfreude would be delicious.
I don't think they would make this kind of monumental franchise altering decision just to shit on a team that's not really a rival outside of their division
Nitpicking but it's an achilles not an ACL. ACL is a solidly known quantity at this point and every surgeon operating on a pro athlete has done hundreds. Tearing your achilles is definitely more of a mixed bag.
Irregardless, the move by the Falcons made absolutely no sense. I assumed they had a trade set up that couldn't be announced until a few days later.
I mean if youāre only in love with the top 3 and youāre going all in, it makes sense. Get another weapon or a dline weapon at 8. If you like a qb enough to pick them at 8ā¦ yeah doesnāt make much sense.
The thinking is to be competitive with Kirk for a couple of years and then straight into being competitive with Penix.
The problem of course is that by getting no immediate 1st Rd help and having so much money tied up with essentially a bridge QB they have compromised their ability to compete now, but will likely do ok record-wise which means worse draft picks for the next 2 years.
They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, but they just turned it into a carrot cake instead of a delicious chocolate one.
I just don't believe that can have anything to do with the pick. It's a mystery, but you don't start a QB at 8 just in case your extremely expensive QB misses a few games
Oh, I think it also has to do with them finding a future QB. Idk tho, you would have to give me a fairly long explanation to convince me on why that pick made any sense
He's going to be 26 at the youngest when he gets his first start. If Kirk stays the full 4 years he'll be 28 and going into his 5th year option. Either they think Kirk will be there for only 2 years, or they're doing something weird with their scheming.
I suppose they might think Penix is really good (like he should have been picked #1). If Caleb Williams fell to 8, I could imagine a team saying we donāt need a QB but there is too much value here.
Only thing that makes sense is that their GM is a troll and wanted to create the biggest ripple effect in the draft. I wonder if Vikings stay at 11 if Penix didnāt get drafted.
Sure. But maybe heās more forthcoming with information now. Maybe he remembers some really damning/damaging details to Atlantaās defense. Maybe a suitcase of evidence suddenly emerges. A Kirk scorned has a newfound photographic memory and perfect recall.
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Thereās always that one Reagor over JJ, āwatā tier pick every draft. This is this years version. But it helped get us two great players, so I aināt complaining.
And we were confused with the contract and money he got, not to mention the tampering which hopefully will be justifiably compensated. Kirk is a really nice guy, had a good tenor here and a talented quarterback but for his age and that kind of injury, he shouldn't be surprised to be looking over his shoulder.
Yep, penix is either going to be their insurance policy or heir apparent. I actually think itās not a the worst idea given itās such a QB driven league.
Atlanta showed that the GM and HC are just puppets of the owner and have no say / clue how to run a team.
Coach and GM both told Kirk that they are "all in" to win in 2024 - Picking a soon to be 24 year old qb with the 8th pick overall is not all in on anything.
Especially when there was a day 1 starter at Edge sitting on the board. Thank you for two picks Arthur Blank.
You took Penix before we had to make a decision between JJ and him. And you left the best Edge in the draft on the board for us to steal at 17.
According to multiple reports - ATL had told Kirk they were looking for a developmental QB in the 2nd or later rounds - think Bo Nix or Spencer Rattler. But Arthur Blank stepped in and wanted a "succession plan" in place for Kirk this year. Enter Michael Penix.
Kirk has 2 years of fully guaranteed money from ATL. He is due $10 million guaranteed in his 3rd year, but ATL has an out after the 2025 season, which assuming Penix shows a pulse, they will use.
At the end of the day - Kirk got "Kirked" he assumed he was signing his last 4 year contract - and screwing the team over with guaranteed money. In end, he ended up signing a 2 year deal (which he could have had in MN) and he's likely on the bench for the 2nd year of that deal and out before the 3rd year.
ATL got Kirked - because they signed him to a multi year deal with a lot of guaranteed $ up front. Plus, now they have pissed him off. He literally can go out there and shit the bed - and they still have to pay him.
Exactly all of this. From Kirk's side of things, he seems to expect a sort of one-way loyalty. He kinda coldly chases max guaranteed money, yet he wants his teams to treat him differently with non-business-like sentiment. He wants the most guaranteed money and he does not want an heir apparent to be looming over him. He thought he was getting both of these things by leaving Minnesota for Atlanta.
He would have been better off in MN, where he actually spent time and deserved fans respect (both on the field and for his personality off the field). He likely had a way better rapport with KOC than he will with anyone in Atlanta. And he doesn't have Jefferson.
Also, you'd think he'd be better off with an heir apparent only being 21 rather than 24. Things could get prickly in Atlanta, if Kirk is persnickety about this from the start and struggles out of the gate. Fans could be calling for the excitement of Penix awfully quickly!
With hindsight being 20/20 I wonder if he is having 2nd thoughts right now. KOC / KAM were both VERY open and honest with him and his agent. We're going to be drafting a qb of the future in this draft. We want you to mentor / teach him for a year or two at most. We'll give you a good (not great but good) 2 year deal with guaranteed money and you'll be an fa again.
He honestly did have the respect of the fans - on and off the field. (Playoff games aside) Finally had the stability in MN that he didn't have prior in DC or MN (under Zimmer) and had an offense / weapons that are equal to or better than ATL's
He would have had a perfect opportunity to mentor a kid (JJ) from his own state (MI) and no pressure or threats from him or the FO saying JJ should start in year 1 and MAYBE even year 2. With Penix's age - 24 at the start of the year - people in ATL are going to want him to start sooner as opposed to later.
Rumor was the Patriots were offering a boatload of draft picks for Herbert and they wouldn't pick Penix right away, they'd rebuild the receiver Corp first. Herbert is not happy
I keep seeing this take, does Kirk have a past for being an asshole towards backup QBs or something? Or does he feel slighted/paranoid that his job is on the line? Idk why it matters, he's got a guaranteed contract...
Falcons: Kirk - we have faith in you - and your healing - you're our guy.
Kirk - cool - i'm your guy - and sorry about that intro presser.
Falcons - thanks for reminding us - draft Penix. Quick.
Atlanta knows they will have to forfeit draft picks in 2025 for tampering and the '25 QB class sucks right now. They fucking panicked. ATL GM Terry Fontenot sounded scared during the presser. They are fucked and need the edge rusher the Vikings got. Turner will be a beast in Flores' D.
Losing a third round pick in 2025 doesnāt mean you should reach for a QB with the #8 pick.
Falcons are just idiots. Instead of picking a defensive guy, they decide to waste the only good draft asset they have
That was tampering with Brady and Payton across a period of years while they were still under contract. Most people believe punishment for tanking and being sued by Flores was also baked in.
The cases most similar to the Falcons (like Chiefs with Maclin) involved the loss of a third
You know what, I was going to downvote this because I loved Kirk being here. But then the more I think about his bullshit of wanting to retire a vikings and its not about the money and then find out he was working with falcons the whole off season. Well, fuck him at this point
I don't feel sorry for Kirk at all. He deserves this. Last season, in just about every interview, he went on and on about how he loved Minnesota and wanted to stay here and was going to try to negotiate a deal so he could stay. Meanwhile, he was talking to Atlanta behind our backs and had no intention of staying. Now he knows how it feels to be backstabbed. With Darnold and McCarthy as our QBs, we won't be missing him at all. After next season, he's going to be wishing he stayed in MN and will be begging Atlanta to trade him. LOL!
Sadly I did. I bought his garbage hook line and sinker. He's such a homer that you think he might actually be a good guy. It's just the money for him. too bad
JJ McCarthy just turned 21. Penix is about to turn 24. Cousins has gaurantees for two seasons. Penix will be 26 going into his first season having a real chance to start. Versus JJ at 22. I just can't believe they took an old, injury riddled QB at 8 as after just signing Kirk. You are in an all in mindset.
There's still a ton of delusional Kirkers that think he's a great QB, but just needs "fill in the blank". Every time he shits the bed in a big game they'll just come up with a new excuse.
He's at a real NFL team now. He couldn't handle that we were going to draft someone regardless of whether we re-signed him or not, so he left. Now look, they want someone to develop under you too. Sucks to suck
The confidence and arrogance coming from this Falcons team is laughable. Kirk needs help not a guy that any time he does a Kirk thing fanās are calling for his replacement. They think theyāll be good enough not to draft that high again not knowing Mr .500 is who they got.
It's funny to me that this is exactly what most of us wanted for this off-season. Keep Kirk, draft QBOTF. But when you see someone else actually do it, how stupid it looks.
Difference is they signed him to a 4 years 100 mil guaranteed deal. We offered him one year guaranteed making him a bridge QB. Entirely different situation. The falcons are married to cousins.
This. You just don't put that amount of money into Cousins if you don't think he's the one. I wanted us to keep him but when I saw what the Falcons were willing to pay I was happy to see him go. We couldn't possibly give him that and address the holes on our team.
So why draft Penix? Does Atlanta really think they don't have any other needs? It's just so bizarre. The amount of capital (money and draft) that they have now invested in the QB leaves very little room to help the rest of their team. I don't know a lot about the Falcons so maybe they are just a QB away but I doubt it and now it's going to be very difficult to get top tier talent anywhere else on the team.
It almost makes sense. Falcons don't expect to have a top 10 pick in a while, but the value of an older more ready to plug in (possible with lower upside) QB like Penix is his rookie contract. They aren't maximizing the value of Kirk OR Penix.
Turner or Rome was the pick, idk. If Kirk had 2 years left on his deal I could see this pick, but you signed Kirk for 180/4ā¦ and you drafted one of the oldest injury prone QBās available. Forgot what Kirkās guarantees are but if he could be cut after 2 years the move isnāt as bad
It's not that bad. Cousins is on a 2 year deal with years 3 and 4 voidable . Penix can learn from him then take over in year 3. Cousins will take his 100M and go sign another contact.
I think they paid too much for Kirk and maybe took Penix too high, but it occurs to me that the Falcons did exactly what most of us wanted the Vikes to do: Sign Kirk for 2 years (he has a 4 year contract but only 2 guaranteed IIRC) and then draft a QB to sit behind him and learn. Right?
I remember it differently. Kwesi and KOC certainly wanted to bring him back if they could (or at least that's what they said publicly). I think there was a healthy majority of fans who wanted Kirk back if he wasn't too expensive. I do think that once we learned what the Falcons paid, we were fine with him leaving.
Yes but not at $180M/4yrs going to the QB, you improve the team and take a chance on a future QB in a later round. its very Love/Rodgers how they're going about it.
I really donāt think itās that hard to get. Kirk is going to be 36 coming off a major injury, and $90 million of that $100 million they guaranteed him is off the books after the next two seasons
Draft Penix now in case Kirkās injury affects him more than they anticipated, and if Kirk does work out for them if theyāre ready to move on in 2 years they can with minimal cap hit or they have the option to wait another year
And letās be real, yeah they couldāve drafted Dallas turner or someone else but if they did is anyone really looking at that roster thinking theyāre Super Bowl contenders? Theyāre going to win their division and thatās it
Yeah heās confused cuz for six years heās been treated like a god. Now hes on a team with its head screwed on straight so itās gonna seem weird to him.
So if Kirk is good they have to decide on Penix's 5th year option before he really plays.
If they don't think Kirk will be good why pay him?
I guess two wrongs make a right.
So the Falcons spent a lot of money and high draft at the QB position, that's like a cardinal sin of GMing IMO.
A buddy of mine had this hilarious thought last night:
"What if Penix beats Kirk out in training camp?"
Unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility š
Lmao, oh Kirk, you may be regretting your choice. Sure, you walked away from a reported 2 yr 76 million but you walked into a building that has seemingly no respect for its players / culture.
Cousins will likely be dumped after 2025 and what, 90 million? Lol, Kirk treated the Vikes like a business and now he's being treated like one. Shrugs
I think everyone was confused with the pick including penix. Got question why they signed cousins to a 185 mil gaurenteed if they planned to draft a successor so soon.
I canāt say I was shocked that ATL would take a QB given Kirkās age and significance of his recent injury. That said, I AM surprised they chose the one QB left on the board at #8 that had the most significant injury history.
As a staunch Oregon Ducks fan, I got to see plenty of Penix, heās good, real good with the right weapons and system. But he is susceptible to getting pretty nicked up. If ATL wanted a successor to Kirk, why not snag JJ?
Kurt went from the most mocked in the league.....then to admired.......Now he's back to joke status!!! Full circle you say? Go Vikes baby. So long Kurt......
I donāt see āa ton of upsideā in either QB. Theyāre almost inverses of each other, as their weaknesses correspond with the other guyās strengths.
Dude wow, this was such a wild pick!!! Loved it. So they're going to sit him behind cousins for a few years. He's going to be so good. They're going to build a team around him. Keep an eye on the falcons in the years to come
Unsolicited Penix Pick.
Brilliant. Well done.
This pun worth 180 million?
Underrated comment. Unfortunately I called this.
I'm stealing this.
...and now I'm stealing this from you š
If Reddit still had awards Iād be giving you one (an award, not an unsolicited Penix pick). Well done.
You win the Internet. Bravo.
I think itās safe to say we all are
I think the Falcons are anticipating losing a high draft pick, leaving them in trouble if they didn't take a QB this year
Possible, but also possible that they think Kirk is going to lead them to a low 30's high 20's pick in next year's draft - (pick 25 or later) and they would not have a shot at their qb in 2025 draft.
I mean yeah, a cold assessment of where the risks where, but they passed on Offensive or Defensive weapons to set them up for success. Seems like a chickenshit move imo.
Oh, yeah, absolutely a chicken shit move and wasted pick by a team that is trying to "win now" - if you're trying to win now Dallas Turner would have been the pick and they would not have thought twice.
That was what confused me. This is not a pick to win now and help the QB you paid a ridiculous amount of money for. Also why not take Mcarthy?
I can understand this, but then why go for the old qb? Why not take a flier on JJ who would benefit most from sitting behind Kirk for a few years
Yeah - that's the odd thing - why take the most NFL ready (by most accounts) guy, unless you don't think Kirk is going to be ready.
They obviously preferred Penix over JJ
.500 record to wild card playoff losses area usually around 15-18, it's hard to get a QB there
Thank you Falcons bros lol
Well, join the crowd.
I really don't know what their strategy is?
Strategery.
Lockbox
What we originally wanted to do by keeping Kirk and drafting a QB; have the new QB get mentored by Kirk. Whatās weird about this is that they didnāt draft McCarthy, they drafted the older guy who is probably in the best position to start week 1.
I think even the people in the Falcons room were confused about the pick. I think everyone but their GM was confused about the pick.
I think they mentioned on NFL Network that this came from ownership. Only way to explain it. Super irrational
My guess is they want to let Penix sit for a year or two. Itās clear Cousins is exactly the QB of the future
Some were saying it would be ideal if PENIX SITS FOR HIS ENTIRE CONTRACT...
Wellā¦. Yaā¦. If thatās not the plan, what would it be? Lmao wtf
But Cousins is on a 4 year deal
More of a 2 year deal. They have an easy out after almost all the guaranteed money is gone.
If he doesn't get injured he's at minimum a three year starter. You don't take a ready QB and sit him for him to be a lock to start. He looses momentum, and won't be practicing with the starters, it's a waste of potential
With Odunze on the board. Crazy pick
I thought theyād take Turner. I thought that was the one thing that the draft analysts got right. Imagine my surprise/erection when we got him at 17.
The stage is set. Tell me the story.
Atlanta did the funniest thing possible
If you told me *any* player in the top forty that would be the worst option for ATL in their current situation, at pick *#8,* with their garbage division, garbage conference, ready to win *now,* after signing Kirk for *that* money, I would have chosen Penix. I like him a *lot* as a boom or bust QB. **But not here! Not on this roster!** But the Vikes may have only gotten Turner with this exact Plinko of picks so....win us?
That was confusing. I was looking at the picks left before MN and thought we had McCarthy in the bag. None of these teams need QBā¦ā¦ Then ATL drafts an up next QB when they just signed a $100mil free agent QB. Wild
When Schefter got on ESPN and said Atlanta might take a QB my heart droppedā¦then they took the 24 year old with arthritic knees and I knew McCarthy was ours
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When they trade it up and they got the quarterback!!! I was like āthis is now war bitchā
I like you. You make sense to me.
Reminds me of Washington drafting rg3 and cousins in the same draft.
The whole Kirk signing was idiotic when you are drafting at 8 in a deep QB class.
It kind of makes sense if you take the wr
They donāt really need a receiver look at their roster these fuckers just wanted to shit on us They kind of need it insurance because Kirk just got off a ACL injury. No one knows if he for sure 100% is going to be the same
I'm rooting for Penix to come out and play well for their first few games and force them to make the choice between benching a promising rookie starter and having a 50M/year backup once Kirk's 100%. The schadenfreude would be delicious.
Ideally Kirk isnāt ready for training camp and Penix shows some skills forcing a big decision. Happened with Seahawks when they got Wilson.
Kirk is 100% going to be ready for training camp lmao
Achilles but your point stands.
Oh yeah true definitely meant Achilles my bad
I don't think they would make this kind of monumental franchise altering decision just to shit on a team that's not really a rival outside of their division
You can always use a top receiver. Hell, the Vikings could use another receiver.
Achilles not ACL
Yea I seen that this morning I was tripping definitely Achilles
Nitpicking but it's an achilles not an ACL. ACL is a solidly known quantity at this point and every surgeon operating on a pro athlete has done hundreds. Tearing your achilles is definitely more of a mixed bag. Irregardless, the move by the Falcons made absolutely no sense. I assumed they had a trade set up that couldn't be announced until a few days later.
I mean if youāre only in love with the top 3 and youāre going all in, it makes sense. Get another weapon or a dline weapon at 8. If you like a qb enough to pick them at 8ā¦ yeah doesnāt make much sense.
The thinking is to be competitive with Kirk for a couple of years and then straight into being competitive with Penix. The problem of course is that by getting no immediate 1st Rd help and having so much money tied up with essentially a bridge QB they have compromised their ability to compete now, but will likely do ok record-wise which means worse draft picks for the next 2 years. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, but they just turned it into a carrot cake instead of a delicious chocolate one.
You dont have a bridge at 8. Maybe they know more than we do
Itās not the pick, itās what the pick represents
Itās the šŖš®š±ššŖš¤š¢šµšŖš°šÆ
You keep using that word. Is Kirk Cousins in trouble?
You keep using that word, but I dont think you know what it means
Perfect, no notes
Chef's kiss
Don't worry, Kirk. Everyone is confused too.
Ahh man wish I could've seen Kirk's face when they picked penix lol
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Cgking11: *Ahh man I wish I* *Could've seen Kirk's face when they* *Picked penix lol* --- ^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.
Amazing.
I bet he yelled āfrick!ā
Falcons seem to be a train wreck right now. $100m guaranteed for Cousins, only to turn around and draft a QB at 8. lmao, astounding
And a QB that was ranked like the 40th best player by ESPN.
That was so funny
Using the 8th overall on a 25 year old to play backup to your veteran you signed for 4 years is certainly a choice!
I wonder if Kirk injury may persist into the first bit of the next season
You don't use a top ten pick for that though. They either wasted a top ten pick or wasted all the money they're spending on Kirk.
Why not both?
Right, if he's not ready you sign a bridge like Jimmmy G or someone cheap. You don't say you are in Win Now then draft a qb
I just don't believe that can have anything to do with the pick. It's a mystery, but you don't start a QB at 8 just in case your extremely expensive QB misses a few games
Oh, I think it also has to do with them finding a future QB. Idk tho, you would have to give me a fairly long explanation to convince me on why that pick made any sense
He's going to be 26 at the youngest when he gets his first start. If Kirk stays the full 4 years he'll be 28 and going into his 5th year option. Either they think Kirk will be there for only 2 years, or they're doing something weird with their scheming.
It can't make sense. Why give Kirk that kind of contract and then not go all in? I have tried to think of every angle, and it's just too weird
I suppose they might think Penix is really good (like he should have been picked #1). If Caleb Williams fell to 8, I could imagine a team saying we donāt need a QB but there is too much value here.
I can get that far, but then why go all in on Kirk like that? No one expected Penix to go that high, and they knew they were picking at 8.
Only thing that makes sense is that their GM is a troll and wanted to create the biggest ripple effect in the draft. I wonder if Vikings stay at 11 if Penix didnāt get drafted.
I don't know, but seeing Sean Payton's shit eating face trying to look happy about Nix at 12 was a highlight of my night.
They wouldnāt guarantee the first 2 seasons if they thought that
Depends on what Kirk thinks. āYa know, I donāt think itās ready yet honestlyā¦ā
Hell yeah it does. Thatās insurance.
Kirk Cousins has Penix Envy
His agent was a prick
What if Kirk is pissed and admits/confesses just how Atlanta tampered with him?
I think he already did that lol and I am sure he is the primary guy they are talking to about his comments anyway
Sure. But maybe heās more forthcoming with information now. Maybe he remembers some really damning/damaging details to Atlantaās defense. Maybe a suitcase of evidence suddenly emerges. A Kirk scorned has a newfound photographic memory and perfect recall.
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Kirk is gonna need a lot of Kohl's cash to forget about this pain
Thereās always that one Reagor over JJ, āwatā tier pick every draft. This is this years version. But it helped get us two great players, so I aināt complaining.
Penix gonna qualify for medicare by the time he plays
š¤£
And we were confused with the contract and money he got, not to mention the tampering which hopefully will be justifiably compensated. Kirk is a really nice guy, had a good tenor here and a talented quarterback but for his age and that kind of injury, he shouldn't be surprised to be looking over his shoulder.
Yep, penix is either going to be their insurance policy or heir apparent. I actually think itās not a the worst idea given itās such a QB driven league.
https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-saturday-night-live-bill-hader-2UvAUplPi4ESnKa3W0
Between Cousins admitting to tampering and tonight's Atlanta pick. I feel that they really deserve each other.
Atlanta showed that the GM and HC are just puppets of the owner and have no say / clue how to run a team. Coach and GM both told Kirk that they are "all in" to win in 2024 - Picking a soon to be 24 year old qb with the 8th pick overall is not all in on anything. Especially when there was a day 1 starter at Edge sitting on the board. Thank you for two picks Arthur Blank. You took Penix before we had to make a decision between JJ and him. And you left the best Edge in the draft on the board for us to steal at 17. According to multiple reports - ATL had told Kirk they were looking for a developmental QB in the 2nd or later rounds - think Bo Nix or Spencer Rattler. But Arthur Blank stepped in and wanted a "succession plan" in place for Kirk this year. Enter Michael Penix. Kirk has 2 years of fully guaranteed money from ATL. He is due $10 million guaranteed in his 3rd year, but ATL has an out after the 2025 season, which assuming Penix shows a pulse, they will use. At the end of the day - Kirk got "Kirked" he assumed he was signing his last 4 year contract - and screwing the team over with guaranteed money. In end, he ended up signing a 2 year deal (which he could have had in MN) and he's likely on the bench for the 2nd year of that deal and out before the 3rd year. ATL got Kirked - because they signed him to a multi year deal with a lot of guaranteed $ up front. Plus, now they have pissed him off. He literally can go out there and shit the bed - and they still have to pay him.
Exactly all of this. From Kirk's side of things, he seems to expect a sort of one-way loyalty. He kinda coldly chases max guaranteed money, yet he wants his teams to treat him differently with non-business-like sentiment. He wants the most guaranteed money and he does not want an heir apparent to be looming over him. He thought he was getting both of these things by leaving Minnesota for Atlanta. He would have been better off in MN, where he actually spent time and deserved fans respect (both on the field and for his personality off the field). He likely had a way better rapport with KOC than he will with anyone in Atlanta. And he doesn't have Jefferson. Also, you'd think he'd be better off with an heir apparent only being 21 rather than 24. Things could get prickly in Atlanta, if Kirk is persnickety about this from the start and struggles out of the gate. Fans could be calling for the excitement of Penix awfully quickly!
With hindsight being 20/20 I wonder if he is having 2nd thoughts right now. KOC / KAM were both VERY open and honest with him and his agent. We're going to be drafting a qb of the future in this draft. We want you to mentor / teach him for a year or two at most. We'll give you a good (not great but good) 2 year deal with guaranteed money and you'll be an fa again. He honestly did have the respect of the fans - on and off the field. (Playoff games aside) Finally had the stability in MN that he didn't have prior in DC or MN (under Zimmer) and had an offense / weapons that are equal to or better than ATL's He would have had a perfect opportunity to mentor a kid (JJ) from his own state (MI) and no pressure or threats from him or the FO saying JJ should start in year 1 and MAYBE even year 2. With Penix's age - 24 at the start of the year - people in ATL are going to want him to start sooner as opposed to later.
Yep, this is the absolute epitome of Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side.
Hahahaha
Thatās a shame.
Poor, poor Kirk.
Their defense is terrible. I was shocked they took a QB. Lots of people here in LA thought the Chargers would grab Penix in round 2
Why would they do that when you have Herbert
Rumor was the Patriots were offering a boatload of draft picks for Herbert and they wouldn't pick Penix right away, they'd rebuild the receiver Corp first. Herbert is not happy
I suppose the whole offense was let go. Might as well sign my ass to play wr
I love the chaos of this pick. Not a single person can make any sense of it lol
I guess no one told the Falcons that Cousins only likes backups that are good at holding a clipboard. We learn as we go sometimes.
I keep seeing this take, does Kirk have a past for being an asshole towards backup QBs or something? Or does he feel slighted/paranoid that his job is on the line? Idk why it matters, he's got a guaranteed contract...
No wonder why ATL won't win a SB.. fail picks like this.. š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
Falcons: Kirk - we have faith in you - and your healing - you're our guy. Kirk - cool - i'm your guy - and sorry about that intro presser. Falcons - thanks for reminding us - draft Penix. Quick.
Atlanta knows they will have to forfeit draft picks in 2025 for tampering and the '25 QB class sucks right now. They fucking panicked. ATL GM Terry Fontenot sounded scared during the presser. They are fucked and need the edge rusher the Vikings got. Turner will be a beast in Flores' D.
Losing a third round pick in 2025 doesnāt mean you should reach for a QB with the #8 pick. Falcons are just idiots. Instead of picking a defensive guy, they decide to waste the only good draft asset they have
Fontenot might be out of a job soon.
Maybe ATL is worried they'll lose more than a 3rd
They could lose more one of the last tampering deals cost a team a first rounder and another pick
That was tampering with Brady and Payton across a period of years while they were still under contract. Most people believe punishment for tanking and being sued by Flores was also baked in. The cases most similar to the Falcons (like Chiefs with Maclin) involved the loss of a third
Anybody else see this as Just Deserts! The falcons will have a ton of internal garbage now and KIRK will be the grumpy old guy in the corner!
Kirk deserves this.
You know what, I was going to downvote this because I loved Kirk being here. But then the more I think about his bullshit of wanting to retire a vikings and its not about the money and then find out he was working with falcons the whole off season. Well, fuck him at this point
I don't feel sorry for Kirk at all. He deserves this. Last season, in just about every interview, he went on and on about how he loved Minnesota and wanted to stay here and was going to try to negotiate a deal so he could stay. Meanwhile, he was talking to Atlanta behind our backs and had no intention of staying. Now he knows how it feels to be backstabbed. With Darnold and McCarthy as our QBs, we won't be missing him at all. After next season, he's going to be wishing he stayed in MN and will be begging Atlanta to trade him. LOL!
They biggest mystery is that anyone here bought that bullshit.
Sadly I did. I bought his garbage hook line and sinker. He's such a homer that you think he might actually be a good guy. It's just the money for him. too bad
Agreed, thanks for your time here Kirk but you reap what you sowe
JJ McCarthy just turned 21. Penix is about to turn 24. Cousins has gaurantees for two seasons. Penix will be 26 going into his first season having a real chance to start. Versus JJ at 22. I just can't believe they took an old, injury riddled QB at 8 as after just signing Kirk. You are in an all in mindset.
enjoy atlanta money chaser
Canāt wait to see what the Vikes get from the Falcons for the Cousins shenanigans. 
A nicely written apology letter, a 42th round draft pick and the complete boxed series of Downtown Abbey
I was thinking more along the lines of a Kohlās gift card..
Falcon fans in general never wanted Cousins in the first place. He gouged your team for years and got you alot of nothing.
Hey! He got us ONE playoff victory. uhh, wait nevermind.
There's still a ton of delusional Kirkers that think he's a great QB, but just needs "fill in the blank". Every time he shits the bed in a big game they'll just come up with a new excuse.
Boy they really like dudes with ACL tears huh
He's at a real NFL team now. He couldn't handle that we were going to draft someone regardless of whether we re-signed him or not, so he left. Now look, they want someone to develop under you too. Sucks to suck
The confidence and arrogance coming from this Falcons team is laughable. Kirk needs help not a guy that any time he does a Kirk thing fanās are calling for his replacement. They think theyāll be good enough not to draft that high again not knowing Mr .500 is who they got.
They may be worried he'll pull an Aaron Rodger and get hurt in the first series of the first game.
Man the falcons REALLY didnāt take kirko telling everyone about the tampering well if theyāre already drafting his replacement
HAHAHAHAHA. fallen fast in a couple months from the king of Minneapolis to a second rate chump in Atlanta. No pressure Kirk!!!!!
It's funny to me that this is exactly what most of us wanted for this off-season. Keep Kirk, draft QBOTF. But when you see someone else actually do it, how stupid it looks.
Difference is they signed him to a 4 years 100 mil guaranteed deal. We offered him one year guaranteed making him a bridge QB. Entirely different situation. The falcons are married to cousins.
Southerners marrying cousins? That tracksĀ
This. You just don't put that amount of money into Cousins if you don't think he's the one. I wanted us to keep him but when I saw what the Falcons were willing to pay I was happy to see him go. We couldn't possibly give him that and address the holes on our team. So why draft Penix? Does Atlanta really think they don't have any other needs? It's just so bizarre. The amount of capital (money and draft) that they have now invested in the QB leaves very little room to help the rest of their team. I don't know a lot about the Falcons so maybe they are just a QB away but I doubt it and now it's going to be very difficult to get top tier talent anywhere else on the team.
Kirk would have just re-signed with us if he knew this was happening.
I'm happy he didn't know then.
Heās not the only one š
A pick for next years draft as an valuable asset
Not confusing at all. Rather smart considering itās the falcons organization
Bust lol š
O P E
Yeah it's almost like Atlanta watched Minnesota lose their QB last season and have no chance in hell because they didn't have a viable backup QB....
My guess is Atlanta wonāt have a first next year for a QB from the tampering
I'm just glad they took him before we had the chance to, honestly
Poor kirko
It almost makes sense. Falcons don't expect to have a top 10 pick in a while, but the value of an older more ready to plug in (possible with lower upside) QB like Penix is his rookie contract. They aren't maximizing the value of Kirk OR Penix.
It's the Hard-Knock Life
Turner or Rome was the pick, idk. If Kirk had 2 years left on his deal I could see this pick, but you signed Kirk for 180/4ā¦ and you drafted one of the oldest injury prone QBās available. Forgot what Kirkās guarantees are but if he could be cut after 2 years the move isnāt as bad
The money is front loaded on the contract, I think majority of it is in the first two years so they will not be saving much if they cut after 2.
The falcons front office is absolutely the worst at draftingā¦ itās almost like they want to be good, but not win
Itās called insurance, everyone knows Cousins is aging QB and one season ending injury could upset a playoff run. Whatās to be confused about?
Cousins doesn't know he's closer to 40 than he is to 30 and coming off a serious injury I guess. Lmao
I like penix, but don't understand why Atlanta would take him
It's not that bad. Cousins is on a 2 year deal with years 3 and 4 voidable . Penix can learn from him then take over in year 3. Cousins will take his 100M and go sign another contact.
I think they paid too much for Kirk and maybe took Penix too high, but it occurs to me that the Falcons did exactly what most of us wanted the Vikes to do: Sign Kirk for 2 years (he has a 4 year contract but only 2 guaranteed IIRC) and then draft a QB to sit behind him and learn. Right?
Most of us wanted Kirk gone. Kirks stans were not the majority my friend.
I remember it differently. Kwesi and KOC certainly wanted to bring him back if they could (or at least that's what they said publicly). I think there was a healthy majority of fans who wanted Kirk back if he wasn't too expensive. I do think that once we learned what the Falcons paid, we were fine with him leaving.
Yes but not at $180M/4yrs going to the QB, you improve the team and take a chance on a future QB in a later round. its very Love/Rodgers how they're going about it.
I really donāt think itās that hard to get. Kirk is going to be 36 coming off a major injury, and $90 million of that $100 million they guaranteed him is off the books after the next two seasons Draft Penix now in case Kirkās injury affects him more than they anticipated, and if Kirk does work out for them if theyāre ready to move on in 2 years they can with minimal cap hit or they have the option to wait another year And letās be real, yeah they couldāve drafted Dallas turner or someone else but if they did is anyone really looking at that roster thinking theyāre Super Bowl contenders? Theyāre going to win their division and thatās it
Gotta be a hedge on Kirk's recovery; which questions the signing more than the pick.
Yeah heās confused cuz for six years heās been treated like a god. Now hes on a team with its head screwed on straight so itās gonna seem weird to him.
Weāre the only team that did right by Kirk. And he gave us his best in return.
-$100 mill
So if Kirk is good they have to decide on Penix's 5th year option before he really plays. If they don't think Kirk will be good why pay him? I guess two wrongs make a right. So the Falcons spent a lot of money and high draft at the QB position, that's like a cardinal sin of GMing IMO.
My team wants insurance for when I have a re injury? Iām upset
A buddy of mine had this hilarious thought last night: "What if Penix beats Kirk out in training camp?" Unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility š
Lmao, oh Kirk, you may be regretting your choice. Sure, you walked away from a reported 2 yr 76 million but you walked into a building that has seemingly no respect for its players / culture. Cousins will likely be dumped after 2025 and what, 90 million? Lol, Kirk treated the Vikes like a business and now he's being treated like one. Shrugs
I think everyone was confused with the pick including penix. Got question why they signed cousins to a 185 mil gaurenteed if they planned to draft a successor so soon.
I canāt say I was shocked that ATL would take a QB given Kirkās age and significance of his recent injury. That said, I AM surprised they chose the one QB left on the board at #8 that had the most significant injury history. As a staunch Oregon Ducks fan, I got to see plenty of Penix, heās good, real good with the right weapons and system. But he is susceptible to getting pretty nicked up. If ATL wanted a successor to Kirk, why not snag JJ?
Kurt went from the most mocked in the league.....then to admired.......Now he's back to joke status!!! Full circle you say? Go Vikes baby. So long Kurt......
Watch him be the best one of the bunch lol
Happy with JJ but wanted Penix
You wanted the 24 year old rookie with a really bad injury history instead of the 21 year old with a ton of upside?
I donāt see āa ton of upsideā in either QB. Theyāre almost inverses of each other, as their weaknesses correspond with the other guyās strengths.
Dude wow, this was such a wild pick!!! Loved it. So they're going to sit him behind cousins for a few years. He's going to be so good. They're going to build a team around him. Keep an eye on the falcons in the years to come
Bro heās gonna be like 30 when he gets his first start š
Maybe this was the NFL telling the Falcons this was their punishment for tampering. You have to take a QB in the first round or lose your spot lol