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It was the shocker of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. A month after giving veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency, the Atlanta Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington with the eighth overall pick.
It was a head-scratcher, for sure, because why give Cousins all that money just to draft a quarterback who could feasibly be the starter within a year? And that's being conservative in today's NFL. The Falcons obviously felt that Penix was the top player on their draft board, though, and mind you, drafting a young quarterback to learn behind a veteran used to be much more common.
Still, taking that young quarterback at No. 8 overall? That felt like a bit of a reach for the Falcons, even if they believed in their heart of hearts that they were setting up a Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers or Rodgers to Jordan Love scenario in a Green Bay Packers-esque gamble.
Credit to all parties involved, though. Everyone said the right things about their respective lots in life. Penix, who was a Heisman Trophy contender at Washington, said that he was ready to come in and learn behind Cousins, who was entering his 13th NFL season, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
“He's been in the league. He's been in there for a while. He's played a lot of football. I feel like I'm going to come in and I'm going to learn. I'm going to learn from him,” Penix said at the time.
Flash forward to Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season and people are still saying the right things. This, despite the fact that the 6-7 Falcons have lost four in a row and Cousin's touchdown-to-interception ratio in that four game span is 0-to-8. According to head coach Raheem Morris, Cousins is still “the guy” for now and Penix Jr. is still “the future” of the Falcons' organization.
Despite Cousins struggling mightily as of late, the Falcons aren't yet going to throw the rookie into the frying pan, via Raimondi.
“I told you right from the beginning, he's our future. And to be able to have the respect, to be able to have the confidence, to be able to have the wherewithal to support Kirk and all this stuff, too, it's a great learning lesson for him as well, Morris said on Thursday. “So, when you go through all that process, you can look at different organizations [that have] pulled the trigger and put guys out there too early and it's gone terrible, and I don't want to be that guy.”
It's not time for Falcons to replace Kirk Cousins with Michael Penix Jr.
Morris' last point really rings true, but it also points to the fact that this is more about Penix Jr. and his future rather than respect for Cousins and his ability to turn things around. Sure, Cousins has “been there” and “done that” and he's certainly capable of leading the Falcons to at least a 9-8 record with games left on the schedule against the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders, 2-11 New York Giants, 8-5 Washington Commanders and 3-10 Carolina Panthers still left on the schedule.
Heck, Cousins could even keep the Falcons alive on the edge of the NFC playoff bubble, which would keep things interesting in Atlanta. This is the same quarterback who threw for four touchdowns (twice) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season and he also had a game against the Dallas Cowboys in which he threw for three touchdowns with no picks.
Cousins is capable of keeping Atlanta in the hunt, and they're paying him $12.5 million just season to do just that. He's also capable of continuing his implosion and pushing the Falcons' 2024 season either further down the drain, though.
Anything can happen with four games left. The important thing for Atlanta is that it's Cousins shouldering the pressure of trying to win these last four games, and not the rookie. Keep in mind, Cousins will also shoulder all the blame if things continue to go south, and in that way, Morris is doing right in protecting his young quarterback.
Penix Jr. will get his chance to sink or swim, but General Manager Terry Fontenot and even Morris are going to sink or swim along with him. They were bold to draft him at No. 8 overall, but now they have to be cunning enough not to put that plan into motion until the time is ready.
After all, instead of Penix, the Falcons could have drafted wideout Rome Odunze (585 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie), who went to the Chicago Bears at No. 9 overall. Or how about tight end Brock Bowers, who went No. 13 overall to the Raiders? Bowers has 933 yards and four touchdowns this season as a rookie tight end. Imagine how good he'd look playing alongside Kyle Pitts as Atlanta's TE2?
The point is, when it's Penix's time, the Falcons have to be absolutely sure it's the right time. Patience is a virtue that has been lost in the NFL, but clearly there's still some left in Atlanta.
