Falcons' Jessie Bates addresses the team's QB conundrum

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III spoke with reporters during a midweek news conference about multiple subjects, including the club's decision to make quarterback Michael Penix Jr. the No. 8 pick of this year's draft after signing veteran Kirk Cousins in free agency. 

"I think he’ll bring a lot to this locker room," Bates said about Penix, as shared by Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "Like we said, he may not be playing for the first couple of years, but just having that competitive nature in the locker room — whether it’s Kirk Cousins, whether it’s a practice squad player, whether it’s me, whether it’s a practice squad guy, whatever it is, we’re going to compete and make each other better."

Bates seemingly was referencing how Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot suggested he'd be OK if Penix serves as a backup for "four or five years." While Cousins inked a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed back in March, Atlanta reportedly can escape that deal after the 2025 season. Meanwhile, Penix will be 26 years old in September 2026. 

"Terry brought me here and I truly believe that everything that he does is to help this team," Bates said about his confidence in a quarterback plan that has been ripped by numerous analysts and unnamed league personnel. "There’s going to be a lot of questions about why we made that pick, but as a leader, I have to be a guy [who says], 'Hey, this is the vision. This is what we’re going with.' I can do all I can to make sure I do my part and same for the other guys." 

One of the more controversial aspects of the Penix decision involved the fact that Cousins didn't know Atlanta would be drafting a signal-caller via the eighth choice until last Thursday night. Bates revealed that Fontenot hadn't yet addressed the team about possibly unsettling the quarterback room so early into Cousins' Atlanta tenure. 

"I don’t think there should be anything said about it," Bates explained. "This is the league that we play in, this is what happens. That’s why there’s a draft to bring in new players. It’s uncomfortable conversations, obviously, but that’s part of what we do — not just as football players, but in life as well." 

Bates obviously can only say so much about a pick he didn't make and about a player who, barring a catastrophe, likely won't help the 2024 Falcons win any games. If nothing else, Bates' comments serve as a reminder that the Penix pick will hover over the Atlanta locker room well beyond April 25.