Kirk Cousins entered last offseason with a lot of questions. When healthy, the aging quarterback was still productive. While there were quarterback-hungry teams desperately in need of a starter, Cousins was coming off a ruptured Achilles.
The Falcons didn’t balk, signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract to be their starter … or so it seemed. Less than two months later, the Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding yet another question to Cousins’ murky offseason.
Cousins said all the right things about the move at the time. On the day the Falcons selected Penix, he and Cousins had a “good conversation,” and Cousins said he was looking forward to working with the rookie.
Behind the scenes, though, Cousins was caught off guard by the move, saying he felt “a little bit misled” after the Falcons took Penix in the first round. Cousins made those comments on the latest season of “Quarterback” on Netflix, which premiered Tuesday.
Cousins, 36, said that he might have made a different decision in free agency if he knew the Falcons were looking to take a quarterback that high.
“At the time, it felt like I had been a little bit misled,” Cousins says in the first episode of the documentary. “Or certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there, if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.”
Cousins added that he knew the Falcons were likely going to take a quarterback in the draft, he just didn’t expect the team would make the pick so early.
His concerns turned out to be accurate. Cousins struggled in his first season in Atlanta, throwing an NFL-leading 16 interceptions in 11 games. He was benched in favor of Penix at the end of the season.
Penix turned in modest numbers in his three starts, completing 58.1 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdowns against three interceptions. That was enough to convince the Falcons that he should be the team’s starter entering 2025.
That decision left Cousins in a difficult spot. The veteran still wants to start, but that’s not going to happen in Atlanta. The Falcons have said they would trade Cousins if the team could find a deal that benefits both sides, but Cousins’ contract makes that difficult.
Despite all that noise, Cousins reported to Falcons minicamp in June. If he remains with the Falcons, he’ll serve as Penix’s backup. And while that’s likely a disappointing outcome for the veteran, Cousins knows better than most that a player’s situation can change in an instant in the NFL.
This news was originally published on this post .
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