If Kirk Cousins thought he was escaping the tension of an uncertain future when he left the Vikings and signed a lucrative multi-year free agent contract with the Falcons in March, his expectations surely changed in April when Atlanta pulled the surprise of the NFL Draft by choosing Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick.
Kirk Cousins talks for first time about Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr.
Kirk Cousins said, “I’m gonna control what I can control,” among other things, in the wake of the Falcons picking QB Michael Penix Jr. No. 8 overall just weeks after signing the former Viking to a lucrative multi-year deal.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
May 14, 2024 at 6:34PM
Now here we are on a Tuesday in mid-May, a day in which Cousins made his first public comments about how he feels about the situation and Penix.
“I don’t think there can be,” Cousins said about whether he has a problem with the Falcons picking Penix on a podcast episode of Bussin’ With The Boys that came out Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s helpful. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl, and it’s hard enough. It’s hard enough. Let’s all be on the same page and try and go win a Super Bowl.”
Later Tuesday, in a session with reporters in conjunction with Falcons OTAs, Cousins echoed a similar message: “It’s always going to be competition in this league and you’re always gonna have to go out and earn it. I’m gonna control what I can control.”
My interpretation: Cousins obviously isn’t thrilled with the decision, especially because the No. 8 pick could have been used on a blue chip player that could help the Falcons in that Super Bowl goal this year, but he unsurprisingly is going to be a team player and take the high road.
Cousins also shared a story on the podcast episode, saying former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called him during the 2021 draft and told him the team was considering taking a quarterback.
“This isn’t, like, a foreign concept,” Cousins said. “There’s an awareness that this is the NFL, anything can happen.”
Minnesota did draft Kellen Mond in the third round that year, but reporting after the draft suggested they had attempted to trade up to pick Justin Fields in the first round. Cousins remained the starter for the rest of his time with the Vikings until missing the second half of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles.
The Vikings moved on and chose Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy No. 10 in the draft, two spots after the Falcons took Penix. Cousins and the Falcons will face the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium this upcoming season, and we will learn the exact date Wednesday with the release of the NFL schedule.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
