A wave of shock followed by criticism gripped social media after the Atlanta Falcons drafted Micah Penix Jr. 8th overall on Thursday night of 2024 NFL Draft.
Fans wouldn’t have batted an eye if the Falcons did not have any quarterbacks like the Commanders. However, they had signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million deal in March.
Even owner Arthur Blank had to double-check with general manager Terry Fontenot about the reason behind the pick. Amidst this, Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons has hit back, claiming the criticism at this drafting is ridiculous.
Legit feel bad for Penix; he just became a top 10 draft pick, and everyone on social media is saying how bad of a pick it is!! I mean, this is just ridiculous of a way to welcome a kid to the NFL! Micah Parsons wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Three quarterbacks, including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, were already off the board. And the next few picks were wide receivers. Parsons argued that the Falcons made the right move in the circumstances. Considering not a single defensive player was taken in the top 10, adding Penix as the next best option isn’t a bad proposition.
Well, maybe not for Penix, but it definitely raised Cousins’ eyebrows. His agent, Mike McCarthy, revealed that the veteran wasn’t aware of the draft until the Falcons were on the clock.
Kirk Cousins will remain the starter despite the addition of Michael Penix Jr.
Even though Penix is considered most ready for the NFL at age 24, he has to wait for his turn. If Cousins is fit (who tore his Achilles last season) on Day 1, then the four-time Pro Bowler will be the starter.
After the first day of the draft ended, head coach Raheem Morris also cleared this while speaking with the media.
Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We're very excited about Kirk. [I am] very excited about this team. Michael Penix, we're talking about the future. The draft is that you look at the future and you look at the big picture. Raheem Morris said
The Falcons had private training sessions with Penix prior to the draft, which attracted a lot of attention. He was supposed to be a second-round pick because of his terrible injury record. When Roger Goodell called his name out, Penix revealed he wasn’t that surprised.
I’m not going to say I was too surprised. But definitely, when I got the phone call, I had chills. I was just super excited and felt like I had a great workout with them. Felt like we had a great connection. Michael Penix Jr. told the NFL Network
The 2023 CFP finalists also added that Cousins reached out to him, and he is ready to support him in any way possible.
He reached out, you know. I am super excited to be able to support him in everything that he’s gonna do. Michael Penix Jr. added
Coach Morris is a big fan of the Green Bay Packers system of drafting the future franchise quarterback early. The Packers added Aaron Rodgers when Brett Favre was at his peak, and the same with Jordan Love when the four-time NFL MVP entered his twilight innings.
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