Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. is confusing with Kirk Cousins on roster

Are the Falcons trying to win now or planning for the future? While Atlanta will argue they are doing both simultaneously, their actions on Thursday night leave something to be desired. 

A month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180M deal, Atlanta drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick. On face value, Penix is a talented prospect who could become a solid pro. He threw for 4,903 yards and scored 36 touchdowns, leading Washington to the College Football Playoff national championship game. However, the Falcons taking a quarterback served as the surprise of the first round.  

Conventional wisdom suggests when you bring in a veteran quarterback, especially one you award a long term deal, your top priority should be to do whatever possible to help him win right away. Drafting a rookie quarterback does the opposite. Selecting Penix may protect the future of the position, but it does nothing for the present. 

The structure of Penix's contract makes it more confusing. If Cousins plays through his entire deal, and that has to be the goal, it will end with the Falcons needing to make a decision about picking up Penix's fifth year option. In that circumstance, Atlanta would have to make that call without having seen much of Penix in games.

The move also seems to have upset the former Pro Bowl quarterback pegged as Atlanta's new starter. According to Mike Carafolo of the NFL Network, Cousins was blindsided by the pick. 

"Yes, it was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation," Cousins' agent Mike McCartney explained about his client's mindset. 

And while some will argue the fact Cousins tore his achilles tendon in the middle of the 2023 season means a backup plan is necessary, Penix has an injury history of his own. 

For context, Penix tore his ACL in 2018, dislocated his shoulder a year later, tore the same ACL again in 2020 and separated a joint in his shoulder in 2021. 

With Penix's Washington teammate Rome Odunze still on the board, it's safe to say Cousins would have appreciated another wide receiver weapon over the guy expected to eventually be his replacement. 

It's still possible the Falcons end up winning the NFC South with Cousins in 2024. But even if that does occur, Atlanta hurt their chances of a deep run by passing on adding another playmaker to this year's team.