Pro Football Rumors
Last March, the Falcons’ decision to sign Kirk Cousins seemed to put to rest questions about their plans at the quarterback spot over the intermediate future. The following month, however, Atlanta selected Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the draft.
It was reported in the immediate aftermath of that move Cousins was caught off guard by the Penix selection. Differing from the Vikings, the Falcons guaranteed the first two years of the 36-year-old’s contract, a key factor in his decision to leave Minnesota after six years there. In the end, both teams made Day 1 investments under center, with the Vikings selecting J.J. McCarthy two spots after Penix. Both are positioned to operate as starters in 2025.
Cousins initially declined to offer a firm answer when asked last year if knowing about the eventual Penix selection would have altered his approach to free agency. The four-time Pro Bowler is one of three signal-callers showcased in the 2025 edition of Netflix’s Quarterback documentary series, however. That has allowed Cousins to reflect on how things played out last spring, and his latest remarks on the situation make it clear he would have likely handled things differently had he known a first-round QB was in the Falcons’ plans.
“It felt like I had been a little bit misled or certainly if I had had the information around free agency, it would have affected my decision,” Cousins said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall) when speaking about the Penix selection. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota, as much as we loved it there, if both teams were drafting a quarterback high.”
The Vikings were willing to retain Cousins for 2025, but the team preferred to take a year-to-year approach knowing they were in position to draft his successor. Sam Darnold signed a one-year deal and enjoyed a productive campaign in Minnesota before departing in free agency this March. That leaves McCarthy – who was sidelined for his entire rookie campaign due to meniscus surgery – in position to handle QB1 duties this season and beyond.
Coming off an Achilles tear, Cousins worked as Atlanta’s starter through the beginning of the 2024 campaign. While battling shoulder and ankle injuries, his play took a turn for the worse until Penix was inserted into the lineup. The 25-year-old enters the coming season atop the Falcons’ depth chart, but an offseason filled with speculation about a Cousins trade or release has ultimately not resulted in a parting of ways.
Cousins is in a better spot health-wise than he was at the time of his benching, but without any starting gigs available at this point he is in line to remain in Atlanta. An injury during training camp could change the situation, but for now the Falcons are set to retain him as a backup (as they professed a willingness for all spring) carrying a $40MM cap hit. That situation is of course partly by choice on Cousins’ part after he elected not to waive his...
