Kirk Cousins believed he had all the facts and with no reason to doubt the Atlanta Falcons’ vision with him as the centerpiece of a new offense, he signed a four-year, $180 million contract in March 2024.
Weeks later, Cousins felt entirely different about the situation when the Falcons shocked the NFL — Cousins included — and used the No. 8 overall pick to select Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Most pundits projected Penix would be selected in the late first round or early second with an average of 25th to 35th overall.
Cousins said on the debut of the latest season of “Quarterback” on Netflix that “it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” knowing the Falcons would be drafting a quarterback that high in 2024. Two picks after the Falcons selected Penix, the Minnesota Vikings used one of their two first-round picks to draft J.J. McCarthy.
Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, said he felt “a little bit misled” by the Falcons.
“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,” Cousins said on the show. “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 said he made the “best decision” he could about his own health last season when, after a 6-3 start, he suffered a shoulder injury and attempted to play through the pain. He admitted on the documentary the move was more about preserving his starting job than self-preservation, fearing he would not reclaim the starting role if he tapped out for a week or two to fully heal.
Instead his performance suffered, Atlanta’s offense lagged and head coach Raheem Morris ultimately put Cousins on the pine in favor of Penix.
“I remember reading Drew Brees’ book back in 2010 when he first wrote it, how he made the point that he tried to never let his backup see the field — even if it was somebody who was really no threat. He just felt like you should never do that. Doug Flutie taught him that,” Cousins said. “So that was something I always was aware of, that in this league, if you give someone else the chance, if you want to get ‘Wally Pipped’ and there’s Lou Gehrig behind you, that can happen at the time.”
Cousins, 36, is now banking $27.5 million this season from Atlanta to be Penix’s backup. He said he’ll be “an adult” but confessed it’s painful to go to work as a reserve.
“I feel sorry for myself and it’s hard to do, but that’s what you got to do,” he said.
–Field Level Media
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