Falcons Ripped Again for Drafting Michael Penix Jr. After Signing Kirk Cousins

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay ranked the Atlanta Falcons' choice to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after signing Kirk Cousins the worst decision of the 2024 NFL offseason.

Atlanta Falcons first round draft pick quarterback Michael Penix Jr. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL world with the selection of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. A lot of draft analysts didn’t consider Penix a first-round pick, and the Falcons had just added free agent signal caller Kirk Cousins on a $180-million deal.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay took issue with the latter – drafting Penix after signing Cousins. In fact, the analyst called it the worst decision of the 2024 NFL offseason.

“While the Falcons are clearly hoping that Penix resembles his Washington self and not the player who struggled with the Hoosiers, there's a real chance that he won't even earn the starting job until he's almost 30 years old,” Kay wrote. “That's because they also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed in free agency.

“Penix's four-year rookie contract will run concurrently with Cousins' deal. If Cousins plays out his full contract, the Falcons will have to make a tough decision on picking up Penix's pricey fifth-year option in 2027.

“While much could change for both Cousins and Penix over the next few years, there's a real chance of that exact scenario playing out in Atlanta. Cousins isn't happy about it, either.”

It’s not hard to see why Kay disliked what the Falcons did at quarterback. Drafting Penix and signing Cousins directly contradict each other. 

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In summary, Atlanta signed a 36-year-old quarterback to a massive deal and then failed to deliver any kind of immediate impactful player in the first round of the draft.

But Kay’s explanation for why he ranked drafting Penix as the worst NFL offseason decision doesn’t completely add up. That’s because while Cousins signed a 4-year deal, the way the Falcons structured the contract, it appeared unlikely from the start to be a 4-year marriage.

Cousins’ dead cap hit will drop from $65 million in 2025 to $25 million in 2026. His cap hit will then fall again to $12.5 million for the final year of the contract.

Meanwhile, his cap hit will rise from $40 million in 2025 to $57.5 million in 2026. It will remain at $57.5 million for 2027. 

Releasing a player and taking a dead cap hit of $25 million isn’t ideal. But that’s become much more common, and it will continue to be a regular practice with the NFL salary cap likely to rise potentially as much as $30 million every year.

Even without Penix on the roster, Atlanta would probably not want to have Cousins behind center when he possesses a giant cap hit in his final two seasons. He will have one of the highest cap hits in the NFL at 38 years old.

On the other hand, if Cousins proves to be worth that money in 2026, then the Falcons will likely be glad to give it to him. The franchise should be glad to keep Penix on the bench if Cousins has the team competing for the Super Bowl for the first time in nearly a decade.

But drafting Penix really just confirms Cousins’s time in Atlanta will not be four years. Therefore, the idea that Penix might not get on the field “until he’s almost 30” is not a fair criticism of the draft pick.

Penix could be the Falcons starter as early as 2025 when he’s 25 years old. On May 8, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed the scenario where Atlanta could trade Cousins after this upcoming season.

One doesn’t have to love Atlanta’s decision to draft Penix. But concerns that he won’t get on the field until his rookie contract almost expires because of Cousins shouldn’t be a reason to dislike the decision.