The most important shock choose in Thursday’s NFL draft was when the Atlanta Falcons picked quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180 million contract.
The primary-round No. 8 draft choose despatched social media right into a tailspin and got here as a shock to Cousins.
“It was an enormous shock. We had no thought this was coming,” Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, stated in a textual content to the NFL Community. “The reality is the entire league had no thought this was coming. We acquired no heads up. Kirk acquired a name from the Falcons after they had been on the clock. That was the primary we heard. It by no means got here up in any dialog.”
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Moments earlier than the choose, McCartney warned in a publish on X: “Bout to be shocked.”
Cousins, 35, has not publicly commented on the Falcons selecting Penix.
Social media shortly reacted to the stunning information.
At a information convention following the draft, head coach Raheem Morris stated they felt it was vital “to handle our future quarterback proper now whereas we’re selecting this low in these moments.”
“Luckily sufficient with us, we acquired a Kirk Cousins within the constructing, we acquired a man that may go on the market and win soccer video games and we must be selecting excessive sufficient,” he added.
Common Supervisor Terry Fontenot stated that selecting Penix was concerning the workforce considering “concerning the future.” Penix, 23, is a rookie from the College of Washington.
“These should not simple choices. These are robust choices,” he stated. “We will construct a sustained winner and we will win for a very long time. … Very, very exited about Kirk. That has not modified.”
In Could, the Falcons signed Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million take care of $100 million assured. The veteran quarterback was drafted in 2012 by Washington and spent six seasons with the workforce earlier than becoming a member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
This may not be the primary time a high-profile, veteran quarterback should uncomfortably share a sideline with one other sign caller seemingly destined to exchange him.
Positive-fire Corridor of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers sat on the bench for 3 seasons, backing up Brett Favre in Inexperienced Bay earlier than the Packers lastly went with the first-round choose from California.
Steve Younger and Joe Montana shared the San Francisco 49ers sideline between 1987 and 1992 earlier than the latter was traded to Kansas Metropolis.
Joe Flacco led Baltimore to a Tremendous Bowl title in 2013 — however the writing was on the wall when the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson within the first spherical of the 2018 draft. Jackson took over for an injured Flacco midway via his rookie season and received the league MVP award in 2019.
