The Falcons adding Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 became easily this draft’s most discussed decision. Giving Kirk Cousins a $100MM practical guarantee and then turning to Round 1 to add a successor represents a free agency-era zag, and Arthur Blank indicated this was not necessarily the team’s pre-draft plan.
Blank said Cousins was informed pre-draft the Falcons were planning to select a quarterback, but the longtime owner noted the plan was not to pick a passer eighth overall. Grades on Penix (and a lukewarm view of the 2025 and ’26 QB classes, as early as it is regarding those future crops) led to the team pulling the trigger, and Raheem Morris said in April the team informed Cousins of that pick minutes before it was made. The team’s decision left Cousins “stunned.”
“I think (Cousins) was surprised as many people were and frankly we were,” Blank said of Penix being available at No. 8, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall (subscription required). “Our plan was not to pick a quarterback at No. 8, but the grades our coaching staff had on Penix and him being available at No. 8 it turned out that that’s what happened.”
“We made it clear to Kirk that we probably were going to draft a quarterback in this draft, and it turned out that Michael Penix, who our coaching staff and personnel department graded extraordinarily high, they viewed him as a tremendous player, (was available),”
This is an unusual account of the Falcons’ draft plan, as the uproar about Penix going to Atlanta stemmed from the Washington prospect going earlier than expected (and to a team that had just given a QB a four-year, $180MM deal). It would be odd if Cousins was surprised by Penix remaining on the board at No. 8, given that questions about the left-hander had him at least dropping into the teens. The Raiders, at No. 13, were a popular Penix spot in mock drafts. Several teams placed a second-round grade on Penix, though a number of coaches were high on him. After the Falcons surprisingly made a move for one of the six first-round-level QBs, the Broncos shut down any effort to trade down from No. 12 in fear the Raiders would then draft Bo Nix.
The Falcons’ move to nab Penix created a running storyline. Cousins declined to answer whether he would have signed with the Falcons had he known they would have chosen Penix. While the veteran may still have done so due to the $100MM guarantee Atlanta was willing to authorize, this will be a closely monitored situation for as long as the two passers are on the roster. Unsurprisingly, Blank’s view of recent Falcons QB situations prompted the aggressive offseason at the position.
“We have seen that movie where we didn’t have a franchise quarterback, and we didn’t want to repeat that again,” Blank said. “I certainly didn’t.”
Blank and the Falcons have certainly shifted course. A year ago, the owner was eager to build around Desmond Ridder’s rookie contract. Blank had explained why the Falcons, who were close to acquiring Deshaun Watson in 2022, joined the rest of the NFL in not pursuing Lamar Jackson after the Ravens QB’s trade request surfaced. The Falcons built their 2023 offseason around Ridder, naming him the former third-rounder the starter months before training camp. After the team benched Ridder on multiple occasions last season, it moved him to Arizona for Rondale Moore.
The Falcons are back in the franchise-QB contract business, with Cousins — barring a trade — locked in for at least two seasons. The longtime Vikings starter, who recently received full clearance, is coming off an Achilles tear ahead of his age-36 season. Penix is already 24, separating this plan from the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordan Love succession; Love was 21 when Green Bay traded up for him.
This decision obviously cut into Atlanta’s ability to build a team around Cousins, as efforts to trade back into Round 1 for a pass rusher did not succeed. But the Falcons do now have a long-term plan in place at the game’s premier position. Rumors will undoubtedly persist about the team’s QB situation, but for now, no question exists as to which one is the starter.
“Kirk Cousins is our franchise quarterback. He is our starting quarterback and he seems to be doing great from a medical standpoint,” Blank said. “… But I know age does kind of creep up. I can speak for myself personally on that. We also know that there will be a point where we will need a transition, and we want to do that smoothly.
“I’m very sensitive on behalf of our fan base on not having a period of time post-Kirk Cousins to have a gap again between having that kind of franchise quarterback and being in the spin cycle and not being able to get out.”
Blank said he was closely involved in the Falcons’ pre-draft process but reminded (via Kendall) Terry Fontenot and the team’s personnel staff have the final say and made the ultimate call. That choice will likely determine the GM’s future in Atlanta, as the team is riding a three-season streak of 7-10 records.
“They don’t have to clear (picks) with me,” Blank said. “They just have to make me aware of what is going on. I don’t like surprises. They know that, but it’s not up to me to make those decisions. It’s up to them and for me to understand the logic behind it.”
If Penix becomes a franchise QB there’s nothing to talk about. $45 APY for Kirk isn’t necessarily a terrible deal either considering the market.
I thought the Penix pick was surprising but I didn’t see it as foolish. Having a starter and a QB2 to groom for a season or 2 is how some of the best teams have done it (or at least how teams wish they could do it).
If Penix becomes a franchise guy down the road then the pick was totally worth it. If he doesn’t then its not the biggest deal in the world, its not like ATL traded three 1st round picks to move up for him.
Totally agree
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
The Falcons decided to travel both
Blank is either lying or he’s stupid. Every non-moron in the world knew Penix would be available at No. 8 in the draft. If Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye had been available at No. 8 then Blank’s explanation would have made sense.
I was going to post the same thing. He almost has to be lying. In order to reach up to #8, it HAD to have been discussed. If one of the top three dropped to #8, then there is an argument for saying “we didn’t plan it, but couldn’t pass on them”.
It’s like the Raiders picking Bowers. They probably never even thought about it, but felt like it was too much value to pass up. But had they taken Fiske, for example, then it would have to have been planned.
He either lied, or is completely out of the loop.
Penix was 34th on Arif Hasan’s consensus big board. Everyone knew he would go higher than that, but they had to be pretty confident the consensus fourth best QB in the draft was going to be available at 8.
It’s simple. The Falcons were trying to move up from 35 to draft Penix, but couldn’t find anyone and also they got word that another team like the Vikins or Broncos would pick him before they could. So they panicked and had to chose between getting him at #8 or not getting him at all.
Time will tell if they chose wisely.
SoCal – This is the most plausible explanation I’ve seen on the Penix pick.
Fair enough. I’ll withdraw my criticism.
I can assure you that Arthur Blank is not stupid. He is more likely playing semantics here. But he is a business man, and he appreciates the ability to pick up an undervalued asset for cheap (an NFL QB for about 5 mill/year for 5 years when the QB market is crazy expensive, and supply is questionable in next 2 drafts). Good football, maybe not, but NFL is a business to him and other owners
That logic only works so well here. First of all, Penix was a reach by consensus, and I have doubts about him. He’s a 24 year old with two ACL tears who didn’t really show out until he was in his fifth year of college and had an extremely stacked supporting cast. But let’s say you think he can be a top fifteen quarterback, which hey, he totally could. They just gave Cousins a ton of money in a win-now move. Not only did they pass on an opportunity to build for the short term, but their QB room is going to be expensive no mater what. Even if they move on to their rookie contract QB in Penix in 2026, they’re going to be carrying a chunk of dead cap money from Cousins after getting little or nothing out of two years of Penix’s rookie contract. Wanting to sit a quarterback is all well and good, but using the 8th pick on a guy you *hope* doesn’t see the field for at least two years is a weird move, especially when you’re talking about the fourth quarterback in a draft.
Meanwhile, the smart business move of getting surplus value out of a draft pick doesn’t only apply to quarterbacks. Rome Odunze is going to make less money in the four years of his rookie contract than 14 different receivers make in an average year of their contract. Heck, Atlanta just gave more guaranteed money to Darnell Mooney than they would have had to pay Odunze for four years. And Odunze is a much better regarded and higher probability prospect than Penix. The same argument could be made for any of the top edge rushers or cornerbacks, who Atlanta could certainly use, and they could have gotten one of those guys while trading down. That would have been good business, too.
But also, the strict value argument is a strange one to make for an organization that took a running back in the top ten a year ago.
Especially with his injury history. Everyone is worried about Cousins but Penix has had his share of surgeries.
Blank lies? No way!!!!
This should be fun
As only the Falcons can do!!
Hmmm
lot of “expert” hate for the falcons .. can’t wait for the revisionist history when this strategy works out well like it did for the packers and chiefs
“Our plan was not to pick a quarterback at No. 8, but the grades our coaching staff had on Penix and him being available at No. 8 it turned out that that’s what happened.”
There’s not a better quote for what summarizes a dysfunctional franchise is than that. ‘We weren’t looking at QB’s. But hey; one fell so we drafted a QB!’.
So if a team has a higher rating for a player than others and he falls to them, they should pass on said player to let them play against them?
If you just shelled out $100m+ 6 weeks earlier for a person at that position, then yes pass on the player and trade back or daft a different position.
Everyone was of the mind that the Falcons’ O should be solid w/ Cousins at QB and they needed to help a D. Terrible leadership from the owner to GM and HC. Another failed regime for Blank’s resume.
“him being available at #8”?
Was there any chance he would NOT be available at #8?
No. Blank is a liar. Or a fool. Or both.
Remember that when you go to Home Depot.
Nope
they should pass on said player to let them play against them?
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I’d say it depends on need. Most position players have some flexibility. I don’t think my Raiders were in the market for a DL, but if Fiske, for example, fell, then draft him and figure it out.
A QB can only QB, unless you’re Mahomes. Who’s going to help you more over the next three years, Penix (whom I like) or Odunze (or a trade)?
Clueless organization, “the pick surprised us all.” Coulda got stud 4D, edge rusher, shut dwn corner, or DL, coulda got more toys 4ur new franchise QB to play with or monster OL 2help protect that investment, that’s a high pick. @ #6 u coulda had day1 starter to shore up teams weakest position. Tough to be Falcons fan these days. Got 2 QBs …
Their job is to win not protect Kirk Cousins’ feelings.
Whether Penix will help that or not is a separate debate. Cousins’ ego should be of no concern.
Kirkules’ fee-fees got hurt cos Atlanta believes in the Dumb Sportsball trope “It’s All About The QB!”
The bigger need for the Falcons was upgrading a defense that allowed the Saints to score a TD from victory formation.
I’m still irritated by this. The Falcons haven’t had a pass rush worth a damn in years now and they keep drafting players for positions they already have covered. . I have no faith in Terry Fontenot and have no idea why he wasn’t canned along with Smith
I’m with you. Our present is so good we are looking at the future. SMDH.
As an Eagles fan, I was “WTF?” about Howie taking Jalen Hurts in the 2nd round in 2020. Now in hindsight, the pick looks brilliant. Only time will tell if taking Penix was a smart move or not.