Are Falcons confident in Kirk Cousins after Michael Penix Jr. pick? | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

PFT reacts to Falcons’ brass defending the Michael Penix Jr. pick at No. 8 overall, explaining why the decision is an “indictment” of what Atlanta believes it has in Kirk Cousins. #NBCSports #NFL #atlantafalcons
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Are Falcons confident in Kirk Cousins after Michael Penix Jr. pick? | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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[@MikeLarry910]

Why does this feel so personal? 😂

[@alexamerling79]

It just makes such little sense that it aggravates people lol

[@szn1580]

Facts lmao it’s not that deep

[@woopig4419]

Because these networks are upset they aren’t gonna make any money off Penix playing

[@user-eq2my7ce1g]

I'm just shocked with all the negativity surrounding the pick with Cousin's age and it being his right planting leg to not want the best backup

[@heavymetallabrat]

Aparently not. They should have never signed cousins if they didnt trust him. By signing Michael Penix they just announced he is not the future.

[@hudsonpowers]

He’s 35, he was never the future

[@tajayaeanderson4848]

It was a smart move tbh. Everybody just making it a big deal

[@bouji_]

It should have been obvious that he's not the future because he's 35 years old, and he just had a catastrophic leg injury.

[@tbtpu5328]

@@tajayaeanderson4848 say that shit again 35 years old coming off injury and people acting like Kirk is a superstar QB

[@herrguru4264]

*BREAKING NEWS:* 1. Cousin Kirk, a Quarterback who pretends to work on Mondays, and doesnt work on Tuesdays and his silly fans, are upset that Michael Penix Jr. (the most talented college Quarterback since Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams & Deshaun Watson), a Quarterback who works from Sunday till Sunday got drafted. 😅🤣😂 2. Jeebus Forking Cripes... the Michael Penix Jr. whinging is getting on my nerves. The mistake wasnt drafting Michael Penix. The mistake was signing Kirk Cousins for $100M. Dude has earned more than Tom Brady, but only has 1 playoff win. 3. People are pretending as if Falcons drafting Laiatu Latu or Dallas Turner would have been the piece for Kirk Cousins to take the Falcons to the Superbowl. Kirk Cousins could have JJ Watt and Nick Bosa and he still wouldnt go to the Superbowl. 4. 14 starting QBs got injured in 2023. Therefore you might as well take a very good QB in the 1st round and a good Defensive End in the 2nd round and thats exactly what Atlanta did.

[@mike-te7qd]

Like Simms said, they should've used the money to sign players on defense and if they couldn't get a QB in the draft, trade for Justin Fields.

[@jeffreyjones593]

Justin Fileds is a train wreck. They tried to get some edge help but got outbid. Cousins was the best QB available in FAand we now have a future QB in Penix. Its that simple but people want to gripe about something

[@mike-te7qd]

@@jeffreyjones593 How's Justin Fields a train wreck 😂?

[@deanladue5367]

The possibility that if Penix gets the starting job over Cousins which i doubt for this season, but you never know. If Kirk does lift his no trade clause and either requests a trade or the team gives him permission to seek one. Both the Falcons and any prospective trade partner will work to get the contract restructured in a manner that benefits either side so Cousins could be moved in a trade. Kirk really wouldn't have any option but to play along if he wanted out of Atlanta badly enough.

[@ZomegJ]

This is why in 2 years Arthur Blank will be hiring a new coach and GM 😂😂

[@user-eq2my7ce1g]

Definitely could happen

[@richardwalker6004]

Exactly it was ignorance for them to assume they are going to win now . With the team they have now and division if they don’t win 10 or more games along with making the playoffs the season will be a failure

[@bernyourhart]

Kirk Cousins is a good QB but 1 playoff win in 12 seasons and he isn’t Tom Brady with the fountain ⛲️ of youth. Cousins is going onto 36 coming off an Achilles Tear. Penix should be the starter in 2 seasons max.

[@szn1580]

Man I can tell the media is going to milk this Penix-Cousins-Falcons topic for months/years lmao like bruh most falcons fan are already over it

[@Chi-Guy]

So glad the Falcons took a QB at 8! Thanks Atlanta!

[@mef2theman]

Pennix is a better pocket qb than Caleb Williams - good luck with RG3v2.0 🎉

[@alexamerling79]

Amen! I was terrified they were gonna trade out of that spot with Indy or Buffalo and let them jump us for Rome. Glad that didn't happen. Thanks Falcons!

[@TheKozmoz]

Packers fans had loyalty to Arod before J love was picked. 49ers fans had loyalty to Joe Montana before Steve Young was picked. Patriots fans had loyalty to Tom Brady before Jimmy G was picked. The Falcons fans didn’t even see Kirk throw it once and they drafted his replacement.

[@henrywallacesghost5883]

That's because the Falcons did it wrong. Every quarterback you mentioned had a long run with the team and 2 out of 3 of them was a good decision in finding a replacement. The Falcons just signed Kirk and invested 100 million guaranteed and they only did that to contend, not compete. If Penix sees significant playing time within the next 3 years that means something went wrong. Poor Michael Penix😢

[@MikeLarry910]

We kind of have to realize Kurt Cousins is 36. Would you want him playing QB for your team at 39?

[@commonsense2156]

@@MikeLarry910 Why did Falcons give him a 4/180M contract then? The front office messed up had buyers remorse

[@MikeLarry910]

@@commonsense2156 I think because he has a few good years left. They use him to bring a winning culture back to Atlanta. Get their young guys some confidence and hit the ground running when Kurt is done in 2 years when he’s about to turn 39. Hand the keys to Penix and reach your potential.

[@w00deey12]

@@commonsense2156 broncos are paying $85,000,000 for Russ to play for the Steelers

[@chrisweidner4768]

“And the locker room is giving you the side eye because they know Penix is better than you.” This is excellence in sports journalism.

[@ProgrammersMuzik]

Pennix is the one who is screwed here. Your GM/coach already talking about keeping you on the bench for 4 years…let that man go to a team that actually needs a starting QB.

[@GoKU-xx2vg]

They are saying that for Cousins benefit. Behind closed doors they are telling Penix he will start sometime this year.

[@juandixonformvp]

@@GoKU-xx2vg Completely agree, Cousins is there 2 years max.

[@deanladue5367]

They are definitely telling Penix that he will definitely be the starter in 2 years max. Whether it's behind closed doors, emails, text messages, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, etc. The countdown has already begun on Kirk Cousins in Atlanta.

[@deanladue5367]

Won't happen, Penix starts in 2 years. Maybe even sooner if Cousins flames out early.

[@cit96AdizeroVapor]

Mike makes a good point about allocation of resources. The veterans on the team, especially on defense and along the O Line, may end up thinking “why have we got all this cap space allocated to this guy when we’ve got a great young guy on a rookie deal!? The team could be so much better if Cousins’ money was spread around elsewhere” Could spell trouble sooner than later if Cousins doesn’t pan out

[@user-eq2my7ce1g]

If I was on the team, Id be super happy to have a solid back up option after the disaster last year at qb.

[@BuddaATL]

I am a diehard Falcons fan who agrees with everything both these guys had to say. They are smart and just told the hard cold truth about how it will pan out.😂😢😊

[@user-eq2my7ce1g]

If Cousins goes down during the season, everyone will be saying how smart they were to draft him.

[@shanelljones1091]

But this QB has a worse injury history than Kirk...

[@M.Yigit1992]

You're talking like Penix never tore his acl before and is some type of iron man

[@shrekdaddy6912]

Lol. What a bad take. Penix is just as injured.

[@laneoo8959a]

36 year old recovering from an ACHILLES injury is much much much worse than a 24 year old pocket passing QB that has two years fully recovered from two acl tears and managed to throw for 4500 yards two seasons in a row with no injuries. Last person to have that many yards two seasons in college? Patrick mahomes.

[@70BTHS]

The argument is that he's still guaranteed 100mil so if he gets injured and Pennix plays early, the team still won't be able to spend that money on other players. The pick was stupid because it's a salary cap league

[@michaeljohnson7945]

Why are these two so mad?!? Mike Florio has been ranting about this topic for days! 😂😂😂

[@moony9337]

Calm down lol. If Penix is great, non of this will matter. Cry babies

[@Masteringvoiceover]

You guys are great. Keep up the good reality check work:)

[@alexamerling79]

As a Bears fan, thank you Atlanta for not trading out of that spot and letting another team jump us for Rome!

[@gsp3428]

Really the GM and coach did a great job helping themselves but not the team, If Cousins plays bad or they start losing, they can "see, we did a smart move in getting Pennix for the future." If Cousins plays well and they win, they can say "see how smart we were getting Cousins in the offseason, and now we have a backup who we can play in the future also. The GM cant lose, either way they have given themselves an out to save themselves, but didnt help this team this year one bit.

[@TheInsideZone]

This is a spot on breakdown of what Terry and the falcon's front office did this past week. As a fan I say Terry is either playing next belt level chess versus other DMS that are playing kindergarten checkers or this guy is reaching all over the place which can't be good for his career if it doesn't pan out

[@TravisMacKenzie-bo2me]

I’d be irritated if I’m Penix. How does his second contract look if he rides the pine for the entirety of his rookie contract?

[@GoKU-xx2vg]

Dude it's Cousins coming off a horrible injury. Penix may start sometime this year.

[@mef2theman]

Why the hell would a rookie be concerned about his next contract with the franchise he'll likely remain with for his career? Wouldn't the money that Kirk made be freed up for the Falcons to resign Penix with if it came down to it??

[@TravisMacKenzie-bo2me]

@@GoKU-xx2vg The Falcons are guilty of at least one of two things, overpaying $180M ($100M guaranteed) for a 34 year old vet with a "horrible injury" or wasting draft capital on an older rookie with the plan to sit him for years. Best case scenario for the Falcons is Penix is great and the Falcons eat tens of millions of dollars in dead cap money. The move was a head scratcher to me and no matter how many justifications I hear my scalp still itches.

[@pdureska7814]

Florio is great at creating all these potential conspiracy theories of why the Falcons took Penix. Cousins turns 36 before this season starts. No one knows where he is in his rehab for the torn Achilles as opposed to say Aaron Rogers where we got daily updates. I think given you have a veteran QB who is older and coming off a serious leg injury having a young backup is smart. Look at Matt Ryan. His skills fell off the cliff at just about the same age. So too early to say. Florio quit bitchin' about throwing young QB's into the fray too soon. Let him learn for a year or two under Cousins if healthy. Then you'll have the QB controversy like Green Bay did which is not a bad thing. Lets see how the story unfolds before you start trying to write the ending before we get past the title page.

[@DravisACard]

I don't get how people don't understand that?

[@DravisACard]

@@dokedoker3340 100 mill for 2 years btw. Who said they weren't all in? Just bc they picked penix? Imo, it's saying that they're preparing for life after cousins, in which, contractual isn't that far away. I think people miss the point of what if cousins goes down again, w/ the same injury or different? What then? Not only do they have their guy for the near future(penix) but he is also their backup plan,, if cousins gets hurt early.. Its a chess move.

[@DravisACard]

@@dokedoker3340 oh I understand the frustration, but I also understand that you don't just sit there & wait for that issue to fester. You grab your backup plan. And last time I checked, they not only picked up extra receivers in the off season, but defensive pieces as well. Also, that Penix pick wasn't the only pick. They went defense 2nd, 3rd, 4th along with offense. That sounds like they're still in it to win.

[@herrguru4264]

*BREAKING NEWS:* 1. Cousin Kirk, a Quarterback who pretends to work on Mondays, and doesnt work on Tuesdays and his silly fans, are upset that Michael Penix Jr. (the most talented college Quarterback since Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams & Deshaun Watson), a Quarterback who works from Sunday till Sunday got drafted. 😅🤣😂 2. Jeebus Forking Cripes... the Michael Penix Jr. whinging is getting on my nerves. The mistake wasnt drafting Michael Penix. The mistake was signing Kirk Cousins for $100M. Dude has earned more than Tom Brady, but only has 1 playoff win. 3. People are pretending as if Falcons drafting Laiatu Latu or Dallas Turner would have been the piece for Kirk Cousins to take the Falcons to the Superbowl. Kirk Cousins could have JJ Watt and Nick Bosa and he still wouldnt go to the Superbowl. 4. 14 starting QBs got injured in 2023. Therefore you might as well take a very good QB in the 1st round and a good Defensive End in the 2nd round and thats exactly what Atlanta did.

[@5oloswag]

This is Crazy

[@bobk4438]

Johnny Football was a controversial picks.

[@w00deey12]

Chris thinks it was logical that the Giants would pass up Penix at 6? Most mock drafts had the Cardinals and Chargers trading down with teams looking for a quarterback. The Falcons would have never expected Penix to be available at 8th overall. Drafting a tight end in the first round two years in a row seems like wasting resources... but what do i know?

[@gsp3428]

Pennix did run a 4.46 supposedly, which is really fast for a qb.

[@deanladue5367]

It'll either work out for Cousins, or it wont. I'm getting the sense that there is some growing distrust between Cousins and the Falcons brass and coaches. Cousins mentioned how everyone was on the same page in his introductory press conference, only to find out otherwise on draft night when the Falcons kept him in the dark on their draft plans. As for Atlanta, are they already having buyers remorse with Cousins? and did they find out that the medical status on his achilles was not as rosy as they were led to believe during contract negotiations? Not to mention that there are some people in the Falcons brass that arent too happy with Cousins that he let it slip out that the Falcons tampered before free agency officially started on March 13th, and the Penix selection only threw gas on the fire. Best case scenario is that Cousins has a productive 2 seasons and then gives way to Penix, worst case scenario is a brewing QB controversy that Cousins wants no part of. But i think the damage has already been done.

[@hondasan6531]

I kinda think it might work out well for Atlanta. It worked for Bill Walsh in SF with Montana and Young. Besides Cousins is coming back after a serious injury. Better to hedge your bets.

[@inpursuitofexcellence750]

So it came out that 3 teams were trying to trade up to get Penix--one being the Saints. Can you imagine Penix taking the Falcons to the woodshed for the next 10 years? Smart pick.

[@elijahcrawford8634]

I’m starting to think they just make these things a big deal just so they can have something to talk about during the offseason

[@georgewashington1106]

Perhaps the Rodgers situation spooked Atlanta. Cousins could be out for the season after 4 plays, and then who would they go the entire (minus 4 plays) season with?

[@jordansheffield6101]

5:00 you can have Danielle Hunter and Micha Parsons too if Kirk goes down and his replacement is Taylor heinekee you’re not winning the division. You can still win the division with Pennix.

[@mef2theman]

Exactly - why wouldn't Raheem, who has been around and coached HOF talent in Aaron Donald, know what to look for in defensive linemen? Also look at the Dline coach we brought from the Rams...outside of having a star lineman they relied mainly on pass rush by committee

[@classicalwit]

Teams can draft whomever they want. Who cares what fans and media think? Drafting Penix prevented some other team from drafting him. Not sure what other team the media wanted to see him play for.

[@lawnmower11]

They proceeded to alienate both quarterbacks, and the fanbase to boot. Pretty impressive feat.

[@mef2theman]

Who says the fan base is alienated?

[@narbran]

My best guess is something happened with their view of Cousins between when they signed him and the day of the draft. Maybe in a couple years it'll all come out and we'll find out.

[@jeffreyjones593]

Or maybe they never expected a 36 y/o QB to be their future but more of a guy that can win now for you and grabbed the opportunity to get the next an for the next 10-12 years.

[@jchan0806]

They should use the two QB system 😂

[@szn1580]

Maybe in sunbelt conference football lmao

[@rungy8214]

I think this is an insurance move...The NFC South is a lot different than the NFC North

[@juandixonformvp]

The media is acting like Cousins is 25, not 35 and coming off a major injury. It was a great move to pick up Penix, and #8 overall was the right spot for him seeing how quickly the other QBs came off the board. Kirk is looking for one last payday before retiring, it was absolutely the right move to pick his successor, and Penix will be fire playing in the Atlanta Dome.

[@foxfire1112]

SO WHY SIGN HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE

[@juandixonformvp]

@@foxfire1112 Cause they have money to spend, and cause they need to see if they can unlock the potential of Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London. Atlanta is an offensive team, playing under a roof, they need to score points, they are trying to load up on the offensive side of the ball.

[@foxfire1112]

@@juandixonformvp So draft Brock Bowers. Literally draft anyone to help you win now. How is this "loading up" when you're already talking about the next QB who's going to start in "4-5 years" as they literally said

[@juandixonformvp]

@@foxfire1112 They have a clean out in Cousins contract after year 2, the 4-5 years contract length was only for salary cap purposes, everyone is reporting that it's essentially a 2-year contract, which makes sense with Cousins' age.

[@foxfire1112]

@@juandixonformvp So why sign him. You're literally creating problems that didn't exsist before. You're talking like Cousins has been their QB for years they literally chose to sign him and then chose to move on from him before he's even put on the helmet. It's so strange

[@traydevon]

When Penix is taking those 1st unit reps in practice, I wonder if it’s an adjustment for the rest of the offense mentally and logistically to shift to a left handed QB who spins the ball differently than Cousins.

[@gsp3428]

I would see if I could trade Pennix and see whats out there for him.

[@jonlamenza4121]

It's what they passed up passing on top defensive help more then having two qbs which is the dumb part it's a typical bad or middling at best franchise move

[@ericw23]

Penix is our QB when his time come .. rise up. They don’t owe Kirk nothing but money he is just passing through. We will trade Kirk if your team want him. and that’s cool 3:49

[@cherrylee2767]

Well, they'll compete and the best QB plays. Let's be rational!

[@mr.o2340]

The media hates the Falcons, and I’m starting to think People are butt hurt because everyone didn’t want Penix to go to the Falcons. We got 2 great QB. One for now? And one for later.

[@mef2theman]

Exactly! If Penix doesn't work out then fine by me, but it's worth the gamble after we allegedly whiffed on Lamar as well as Desaun. Nevermind how the Matt Ryan final season turned out. Also keep in mind that Penix has an arm thats allegedly better than all of the QB's I mentioned

[@toddmullis8051]

One thing I will say is that if the Falcons had picked up an obvious bridge QB there is a high probability that they would have had to give up additional draft capital to move up. They wanted to avoid a bidding war with the chargers or whatever team . I can’t imagine the fury of the fan base if the Saints jumped them to snag Pennix

[@danielhogue6484]

Spending 100m to stop other teams from speculating how one team will use their first round pick. Smart. Real Smart.

[@houstoner1320]

It's a hot mess and I find it very entertaining

[@tajayaeanderson4848]

It’s really not a hard question on why the move was made, they just making it a big deal for nothing

[@ajkareem5685]

He’s 24 and injury prone. Makes zero sense. Especially when arch manning is coming out soon. The regret will be huge.

[@tajayaeanderson4848]

Lmaoooo so put allllll our eggs in arch manning with the 22nd pick ? 😂

[@foxfire1112]

This is such a stupid move. By your logic they should draft another QB next season #1 in case penix also gets hurt

[@tajayaeanderson4848]

@@foxfire1112 so it was dumb to draft a qb to be behind a qb that’s coming off a Achilles injury? That we have yet to see in training camp ? On top of having a playoff record worst than dak Prescott and you see how the cowboys doing him. So pretty smart if you ask me.

[@fantilldeath528trajectory]

I bet they do better than Minnesota😏

[@seaborn7023]

“No strategy in the building in ATL?” Maybe Chris is sharing the drinks with his co-host now? Have you guys even listened to Fontenot for more than a video clip? They have strategy because they have criteria and policy: “impact player over a need player”, “QB is the most important position in the NFL”, “if you have a chance to take a franchise QB you don’t pass it up”, “surplus quickly becomes need,” and on and on. Anyone who listened to Fontenot the last few weeks knew this choice was coming. You guys were not listening. I was elated and cheered at the screen because I understood it. Argue with the choice all you want. Maybe its right, maybe its wrong. But the choice is not the issue. Prove to me Fontenot’s strategy and policies are wrong. You can’t. We’ll all just have to wait two more years.

[@mef2theman]

Preach brother! Folks are quick to forget Testaverde at 37 years old in 2000 being supplanted after being the presumed starter, by a then 23 year old Chad Pennington via the draft

[@gsp3428]

Kirk will never get the credit he deserves being a good QB, even a superbowl, people will still say he is just a guy. They will give all the credit to everyone else.

[@superjohngoldsmith8406]

QB most important position. Falcons haven't had good QB play in 5 years (sorry, at the end Matt Ryan was trash) --- Can either Cousins or Penix lead to a Super Bowl victory? Who knows - but I like the odds of having 2 options rather than just betting my franchise on one option.

[@popjibbletz]

Cousins is making a ton of money because he is a good QB. Penix is a huge question mark. It may be the worst pick I have ever seen

[@krevin543]

Exactly. They don’t believe in Kirk to get the job done and want a back up to him. They aren’t all in on him despite paying him 100mil. So stupid. They either have wasted 100 mil or their 1 in the draft. Unless they actually are gonna start Penix at 27-8 for the first time.

[@harryalfie7]

@@krevin543 The only problem with the move is the $100m guarenteed they gave Cousins. Penix jr has the talent to hopefully secure the future at the position and qbs are hard to find. However when you sign Cousins for that you should be in win now mode and there were players on the board to do that

[@krevin543]

@@harryalfie7 exactly! If cousins was cheap then cool. But they have put too many resources into the QB position now and F’d up the locker room. People are not going to want to wait for Penix if the team isn’t off to a great start this next season

[@superjohngoldsmith8406]

@@krevin543 Disagree. You believe in your yourself 100%, but what does your family do if a tree falls on you? You get life insurance so your family can still succeed.

[@dennis2782]

The biggest winner Is Kirk...If he does well Great or Not Great Kirk is Mr. Money!! Either way Kirk gets another Contract.....Damn Kirk Write a Book "How to Make Money in the NFL"

[@snowyshaw1968]

If you have your 2nd rated quarterback in the draft and can snag him at 8, good deal. But they should’ve known they would have had a chance at 8 before they signed Kirk cousins. Wasted a lot of money.

[@templehillsfunk]

I don't have a problem with this puck eventhough, I PROBABLY wouldn't have done it. 1. The Falcons are LOADED on Offense. They have a decent Defense. 2. Cousins gives them experience at the at THE most important position in sports so, for all intent in purposes, they are in a win NOW mode. 3. I think the NFL is investigating that possibility of tampering with Cousins so if they lose a 1st round pick because of it, they've got their guy. This is a lot of noise over nothing.

[@ericw23]

They were confident that he was stable and he could win this QB less division Kirk was not a going to win a Super Bowl and you all know it .. stop acting like Kirk is Joe Montana. This you talking about it. They are just entertaining you 😂. You can rework the deal like love did .. 2:38

[@user-hx8zm4fe4q]

Who cares what Kirk thinks. Why would he care about a rookie ? If he is not playing well enough to start he should not start.💯

[@gsp3428]

Its not about caring about a rookie, its that pick could have helped the team alot this year.

[@SantaBarbaraSongbird]

Simms cookin again with Florio lining him up😎

[@GoKU-xx2vg]

Gaslighting him up

[@sadamoneal1816]

I agree with Chris. They could’ve loaded up on defense in FA. Seems like Kirk was a 180 million dollar smoke screen.

[@emc59789]

BB gotta be glad he avoided this dumpster fire of a franchise.

[@nysguy07]

Interesting that this is the team that didn’t bring in Belichick because the front office was scared of losing their jobs yet now that’s exactly what they are doing to cousins. How do you think Blank is feeling now about the decision to stick with these guys?

[@SunniMerlot]

Not even close. Bill rubs people the wrong way by most account’s. This is only bother Cousins. Look at that community and the make up of the team. Cousins stands out for many reasons

[@bernyourhart]

I’d put that on Robert Kraft sabotaging Belichick by calling Blank more than the Atlanta front office.

[@marquezchapman2395]

Lol right the falcons have 2 QB and the Vikings maybe have one this will always be personal

[@chapellebr9603]

Bo nix is older 😂

[@mef2theman]

Most of these prospects are a year or two older due to their ability to redshirt and opt out during the covid year so idk why it keeps being brought up 😂😂😂

[@tbtpu5328]

Let’s be real Kirk going play 2 years by the 3rd year the fan base will hate him and he will get benched for his play. This would’ve happen even if they didn’t draft a QB

[@tlew7032]

All that’s happened here is very simple. The Falcons said the quiet part out lout with the Penix pick. They will pay Cousins his $100M guaranteed for the next 2 years, and then cut him. Penix starts year 3.

[@vinniehugo9065]

What the Falcons have done is like signing CMC to your team under a major contract. Then drafting Bijan Robinson for the first pick in the draft. 😂Instead of drafting a run blocking Offensive lineman. Makes no sense at all. When you sign an older player for big bucks. You absolutely must support him in the draft with first round talent.

[@mef2theman]

They're supporting Kirk by trying to shore up the d-line, run stopping, and pass rush - so we won't have to rely on winning solely on shootouts and have quality depth on both sides should either our star QB or DTackle goes down

[@vincentoravec261]

This is Matt Flynn/Russell Wilson on steroids.

[@mef2theman]

Testaverde to Pennington 2.0

[@timflint25]

You wanna see a funny video? How about the Falcons GM in the war room desperately trying to explain the Penix pick to owner Arthur Blank 😅😂. Reminds me of that Mike Vrabel "crick in his neck" when the Titans spontaneously traded AJ Brown.

[@gsp3428]

If Pennix is playing they literally threw away 100 million of Blank's money, If Cousins is playing, they threw a way a valuable pick that could have helped them alot this season. I would be angrier if I was Blank about throwing away 100 million of my money. Honestly Blank should have been smart enough to nix that pick, and tell them no way you are making that pick, and if you do, youre fired.

[@carlaauri8461]

Dumb dumb dumb. This is how scare teams make decisions. Their own doing, soon fire Gm and coach.

[@joeviseth5357]

I mean… Kirko is on one leg, It would be wise to have a good backup

[@meancypha]

That's everyone's point if u felt like that about him then why pay him all that money and for 4 yrs lol

[@DravisACard]

​@@meancyphatechnically, the contract guarantees him only 2 years & 100 mill.

[@ajkareem5685]

You don’t draft a backup top 10. You draft lineman to make sure he’s not running for his life.

[@alexamerling79]

But why pay a guy on one leg $100 million?

[@joeviseth5357]

@@alexamerling79 that's a great question

[@tinky4098]

News flash...Hey Beavis and Butthead, the FALCON fans don't care what you think.

[@TT79-]

The team that everyone should be paying attention to because of this draft pick...are the 49ers. If anything happens to Purdy, Cousins will be traded to the 49ers in a heartbeat.

[@babyloobibovski2947]

Omg Raheem Morris looks like he’s talking out of his ass

[@maddrone7814]

Lenox sits for 4-5 years dude will only have a 4-5 year playing career lmfao

[@SunniMerlot]

They man don’t truly care cause his money is promised

[@deepwaterwalk]

None of what was said here makes Penix the wrong pick. Period.

[@kacornish1]

You must not have been listening to, lol…

[@Slimdulla87]

But why should it matter to Kirk because hes still going to get his 100Mil check. Tell him to cry in his 100 dollar bills.

[@charlesh1735]

This is a waste of 140 million dollars on Cousins and a wasted 8th overall pick in Penix Jr. 🤦‍♀️

[@jordansheffield6101]

Pennix could be starting in 2 years Kirk very easy to cut in year 3. The hope is Kirk makes you a playoff team and young guy makes you a deep playoff team.

[@herrguru4264]

*BREAKING NEWS:* 1. Cousin Kirk, a Quarterback who pretends to work on Mondays, and doesnt work on Tuesdays and his silly fans, are upset that Michael Penix Jr. (the most talented college Quarterback since Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams & Deshaun Watson), a Quarterback who works from Sunday till Sunday got drafted. 😅🤣😂 2. Jeebus Forking Cripes... the Michael Penix Jr. whinging is getting on my nerves. The mistake wasnt drafting Michael Penix. The mistake was signing Kirk Cousins for $100M. Dude has earned more than Tom Brady, but only has 1 playoff win. 3. People are pretending as if Falcons drafting Laiatu Latu or Dallas Turner would have been the piece for Kirk Cousins to take the Falcons to the Superbowl. Kirk Cousins could have JJ Watt and Nick Bosa and he still wouldnt go to the Superbowl. 4. 14 starting QBs got injured in 2023. Therefore you might as well take a very good QB in the 1st round and a good Defensive End in the 2nd round and thats exactly what Atlanta did.

[@jacobsims8307]

They have the benefit of playing in the most embarrassing division in football. 🤷

[@commonsense2156]

They should have signed Wilson a cheaper bridge if this was their draft strategy.

[@smegheadish]

Geez..Florio a whiny b.. sometimes

[@kghd2647]

Sounds like a bunch of excuses for when Cousins doesn't play well. Just play well and it won't matter right? :) People talk about you like you're a top 5 QB who's accomplished so much in the playoffs, so go show why they signed you for all that money.

[@moony9337]

Nobody says anything when teams randomly cut players. But since it’s Kirk cousins (1 playoff game winner) we must cater everything to him. Give me a break

[@tlew7032]

Then you simply don’t sign Cousins for $100M guaranteed.

[@vampuricknight1]

Dumb take... of course nobody says anything when a team cuts a backup loses a million in the deal... or maybe a WR that you thought could get through year 2 on his 3 year deal and just couldn't because he's old AF. People care though when we are talking the 7th highest paid QB (the most expensive position in the sport) and if you cut him you've handicapped your team's cap at minimum 2 years. Like come on man, if its wrong for the broncos to spend a fortune on Russell Wilson and cut him mid way through his contract/extension then its wrong for the falcons to spend a fortune on a guy they are considering cutting a year or two in. It's not like the Falcons HAD to have Cousins like he was the only vet QB available... they could have gotten Minshew on a cheapo contract if they were going to pull this shit.

[@mediamvpproductions1046]

Sounds like a couple of haters to me… smh. Let’s be real here. They’d probably be praising the move if it was Mcarthy. It would be a “solid backup speech”… smh

[@M98747]

I don't care who you are. You don't sign a FA QB to a massive contract and then draft a QB at #8 the same off-season. Either you're all in on the vet and you draft help at #8, or you're all in on the rookie and you use the cap space to make the team better. When Penix eventually plays, his rookie contract will be almost over, and their window to surround him with talent while he's cheap will be nearly closed. It's terrible team management regardless of how you look at it.

[@mediamvpproductions1046]

@@M98747 I disagree man. Preparation beats the unknown every time. Regardless how much we spent on Kirk, we need to secure our future AND be PREPARED in case Kirk has a setback and isn't ready for game one. The last interview I saw from Kirk he said he's comfortable in the pocket now but is still working on his scrambling and escaping out of the pocket from his injury. Reassurance is the best assurance. To me knowing that Heineke a clear cut number 2 in this league is our number 3 is the most encouraging feeling and you could also argue that we possibly have the number 1 QB room in the league at this point. So no matter how you feel this was a SMART move. G.I. Joe told everyone "knowing is half the battle". Go Joe. Go Falcons!

[@hrebec97]

Who is Mcarthy? Are you saying Mike McCarthy? Jerry Jones, not Mike McCarthy, handles the draft for Dallas. Penix is 24 years old. Sitting four years for him is hysterical. If they drafted a younger QB, then you might have a legitimate argument. Cousins might have injury issues, but you spent $100 million guaranteed on him. That screams, “All in!” Then you sabotage him. It’s insane! The Cousins signing is the bigger issue here.

[@danielhogue6484]

@@mediamvpproductions1046 Just admit it would've been a much smarter move to have Penix play day 1 and spend 100m to surround him with even more talent for years to come rather than be in the situation you guys are in now.

[@mediamvpproductions1046]

@@danielhogue6484 I think the smartest move was going with who multiple people thought was the best pick at number eight. This is a room full of people that do this for a living if they all thought he was that good then I’m good with that. Too many of you guys are speaking from emotion. Also, some of the 100mil is paying for hands on training from a certified vet. It just kills me how you guys sit here acting like there’s no possibility of Kurt being hurt. It’s absolutely ridiculous honestly.

[@sharonreel8678]

How many of Florio's videos am I going to end up skipping because I can't stand to listen to his ridiculous tirades?? Why don't you go ask Green Bay about this strategy?? 😵‍💫

[@chris53659]

Instead of going for Justin Jefferson or Brandon Aiyuk they traded up for a bench warmer. They were like 1 score away from going to the Superbowl that year. Not going for it all with an MVP quarterback is about job security

[@ATLGilmour]

Florio is butt hurt 😂😢

[@johnnyringo7928]

This doesn't make them a better team. Not a fan of the birds so i'm good with it. 👌

[@jordansheffield6101]

Falcons have the best vet qb in the division and the best young qb in the division as well.

[@johnnyringo7928]

@@jordansheffield6101 only one guy takes the snap. 100mil wasted or a good rookie's stunted career or both. This pick does nothing for years. Meanwhile Atlanta remains the worst pass rush D in the league. Again.

[@jordansheffield6101]

@@johnnyringo7928 allows you to ease your young qb out there instead of making him the savior immediately like Bryce Young.

[@MJfromdaO]

Yea he’s a little old but keep in mind Michael penix can outlive any 14 year old on the planet by living to 87 and them dying at 78 so the world is still in front of him

[@Scott-pn3if]

Chicago thanks Atlanta 😂

[@DocNinini]

So if Kirk gets hurt (god forbid) i dont want to hear you 🤡 say anything

[@kaseywashington8493]

I don’t see the issue. Media just upset because they were wrong in prediction.pennix is that dude. People complained when Kansas City grab mahomes

[@User87_]

Kirk sucks, can’t dance when it comes time for the party.

[@emperorscoop7416]

JESUS IS COMING SOON 🙏🏾✝️🦁🩸

[@JC-db7so]

Captain Kirk has 1 playoff win in his entire career. He’s stolen more money the nfl than anyone in its history.

[@quintenruckman3505]

People acting like Kirk is Joe Burrow! He hasn’t done a damn thing his entire career. He’s J.A.G. The organization is a clown show for signing him!!

[@courtneyfielder1947]

JAG chill out with that BS narrative we all seen those JAG qb that only stay in nfl for like 4-8 yrs at most

[@quintenruckman3505]

He’s the definition of it! You’ll never get over the hump paying a good player great player money. At 36 off of an achilles injury that was one of the worst signings by one of the worst franchises in the NFL. You pay a guy $180M then draft his replacement in the top 10 before he’s played a snap?!?! The Falcons are a JOKE!!!

[@gsp3428]

He is just a guy who throw for over 4 thousand yards and close to 30 tds every year, most QB's wish they were JAGS i guess.

[@quintenruckman3505]

You’re impressed with 4k yards and 30 TDs?!?! Yikes…

[@kaseywashington8493]

I don’t see the issue. Media just upset because they were wrong in prediction.pennix is that dude. People complained when Kansas City grab mahomes