Caleb Harris
The Atlanta Falcons splurged on acquiring their new franchise quarterback this offseason, signing former Minnesota Vikings agent Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. It was the most lucrative contract awarded in free agency this off-season, regardless of position, but the Falcons followed that decision by selecting a quarterback at No. 8 overall.
Atlanta using its first-round pick on Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was the story of the first round and arguably the story of 2024 NFL Draft. Cousins had no idea the Falcons would take a quarterback so high, and it was a decision that left him “shocked” and “disappointed.” according to NFL Media.
By SI.com, one of the reasons Cousins left Minnesota was because the Vikings were up front with him about the possibility of selecting a quarterback in the draft. It’s ironic that Cousins’ new team drafted a top-10 quarterback.
During a recent appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys” Podcast Hosted by former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, Cousins finally addressed the Falcons’ decision to select Penix.
“I think you’re reminded again that there are things you control and there are a lot of things you don’t control,” Cousins said. “So let’s deal with reality and recognize that fact, and then be a steward, not an owner. So I just believe that I have to manage what comes my way and control what I can control, which is what a manager does, but a manager doesn’t worry about what they can’t control. An owner cares, an owner would say, ‘Oh my God.’ So I just have to take care of it and do what I’ve always done as a player and let the chips fall where they may.”
Cousins was asked about his immediate reaction when he was informed about the Penix selection.
“Vikings, three years ago, I was finishing a round of golf before the draft on Thursday and I’m on the 18th hole, up the fairway and Klint Kubiak calls me our OC,” Cousins recalled. “And he said, ‘I just want to let you know, we might draft a quarterback tonight.’ I said ok.’
“So I understood that for a while now, teams are always thinking about succession plans or always thinking about this. They didn’t end up drafting one that year, but you know that’s a possible direction it could go. The point is that this is not a foreign concept. There is an awareness that this is the concept. NFLnothing can happen…”
Cousins then told a story from his high school days when he was trying to earn a scholarship to Michigan State. He was told that the Spartans have already offered five quarterbacks and if one of them committed, Cousins would not be offered. But if all five rejected offers, Cousins could potentially receive a scholarship. A week and a half later, then-coach Mark Dantonio offered Cousins a scholarship, which he accepted despite being the program’s sixth choice. However, two weeks later, after Cousins had already signed, Michigan State came to him and said there was another quarterback they wanted to offer and to extend his recruitment. That quarterback was Nick Foles. This showed Cousins that you will always have to compete for your job.
“It’s more like copy and paste than something new to me because it goes back to how it’s always been,” Cousins said.
Compton asked Cousins if there is any “dispute” involved with the Falcons following the first-round decision.
“No, I don’t think there could be, I don’t think it would be helpful,” Cousins said. “Like, we’re trying to win a Super Bowl, and it is quite difficult. So let’s all be on the same page and try to win a Super Bowl.”
