Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) during warmups before the start of the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Football: CFP National Championship-Washington at Michigan
ATLANTA — Falcons owner Arthur Blank is doubling down on the team’s shocking decision to select Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in April’s NFL draft.
According to Jeremey Fowler of ESPN, Blank “fully endorsed long-term stability” under center despite inking Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract a month prior.
After Matt Ryan and Michael Vick ran the Atlanta offense for the better part of two decades, Blank has no interest in a quarterback “carousel,” Fowler said.
But shockingly, Fowler writes that Atlanta ranked Penix as the 2024 NFL Draft’s second best quarterback. Caleb Williams was presumably the only QB Atlanta’s front office had ranked above Penix.
The strong-armed Penix, 24, should get a fair number of snaps for the Falcons in this summer’s minicamp and in preseason if Cousins isn’t fully recovered from his 2023 Achilles tear.
But there remains little chance of Penix starting in 2024.
“I want this to be my final stop,” Cousins told Shaquille O’Neal on The Big Podcast earlier this month. “I don’t want to do the deal — no offense — but I don’t want to go play for the Suns and Celtics at the end. I want to go finish with the Heat, if you will, and be done, you know? So, that’s really my plan is that I wouldn’t play for another team—I’d finish with the Falcons.”
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported one reason Cousins wanted to leave the Vikings was to avoid this exact type of situation, with a young quarterback watching over his shoulder. Still, despite the initial shock, Cousins reached out to Penix on draft night to talk to his new teammate.
“He did reach out,” Penix said. “We had a very good conversation … I’m going to keep it between me and him right now but it was definitely a good conversation and I’m super excited to work with him and he said he is the same for me.
“I’m super blessed to be able to be in a room with him and to be able to work with him and learn from him. And support him as he continues with his career.”
