The most important shock choose in Thursday’s NFL draft was when the Atlanta Falcons picked quarterback Michael Penix Jr. soon after signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180 million agreement.
The first-round No. 8 draft decide sent social media into a tailspin and arrived as a shock to Cousins.
“It was a big surprise. We experienced no idea this was coming,” Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, reported in a text to the NFL Network. “The real truth is the full league experienced no plan this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk obtained a simply call from the Falcons when they have been on the clock. That was the 1st we heard. It under no circumstances came up in any dialogue.”
Extra Sports from NBC Information
Moments right before the pick, McCartney warned in a put up on X: “Bout to be shocked.”
Cousins, 35, has not publicly commented on the Falcons choosing Penix.
Social media promptly reacted to the stunning news.
At a news meeting adhering to the draft, head coach Raheem Morris claimed they felt it was essential “to deal with our potential quarterback proper now though we’re choosing this small in these moments.”
“The good thing is enough with us, we received a Kirk Cousins in the setting up, we acquired a dude that can go out there and earn soccer games and we need to be choosing large ample,” he added.
Normal Manager Terry Fontenot said that choosing Penix was about the staff considering “about the long term.” Penix, 23, is a rookie from the University of Washington.
“These are not easy choices. These are tough conclusions,” he claimed. “We are heading to construct a sustained winner and we are likely to gain for a lengthy time. … Extremely, pretty exited about Kirk. That has not altered.”
In Could, the Falcons signed Cousins to a 4-yr, $180 million deal with $100 million certain. The veteran quarterback was drafted in 2012 by Washington and expended six seasons with the team ahead of joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
This is not going to be the 1st time a large-profile, veteran quarterback will have to uncomfortably share a sideline with a further signal caller seemingly destined to switch him.
Guaranteed-fire Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers sat on the bench for 3 seasons, backing up Brett Favre in Environmentally friendly Bay in advance of the Packers finally went with the 1st-round decide on from California.
Steve Young and Joe Montana shared the San Francisco 49ers sideline between 1987 and 1992 prior to the latter was traded to Kansas Town.
Joe Flacco led Baltimore to a Tremendous Bowl title in 2013 — but the composing was on the wall when the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the 1st round of the 2018 draft. Jackson took about for an injured Flacco halfway by way of his rookie season and won the league MVP award in 2019.