Kirk Cousins Felt ‘Misled’ After Falcons Drafted Penix Jr. In 2024 Draft

Kirk Cousins said he might have re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason had he known the Atlanta Falcons would draft a quarterback in the first round.

For the first time publicly, the veteran opened up on his feelings about the Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft in an episode of the Netflix series Quarterback, which premiered Tuesday.

Cousins said he felt “a little misled” when the Falcons took Penix that high. The Falcons had signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed just a few weeks earlier, tabbing him as their quarterback for 2024 and beyond. The Falcons stunned the NFL – and Cousins – by drafting Penix, because the franchise believed in him as a future franchise quarterback.

Cousins said he was aware that the Falcons might draft a quarterback, but he definitely did not expect it to be that high. He wasn’t informed about the Penix pick until the phone call from the offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, while the Falcons were on the clock.

“Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said on the first episode of the season. “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. 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.”

The Vikings, who did extend an offer to Cousins last offseason, drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 draft.

Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start last season before taking a hard hit to his right arm from New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner in Week 10. Cousins said that he knew something was wrong immediately and then later felt pain in his shoulder.

The Falcons’ season took a sharp downward turn beginning with that game. The Falcons lost four straight, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdown passes during that stretch, the worst of his 13-year career.

Cousins said at mandatory minicamp last month that he realized after the season ended that he had been more injured than initially thought. At the time, he said, it felt like just more pain he had to work through, like so many bumps and bruises in the past.

Cousins appeared on the Falcons’ injury report only once after the hit, in Week 11. After that game, a loss to the Denver Broncos, Cousins claimed he was 100 percent.

Cousins admitted he didn’t want to sit and rest the arm, giving way to Penix, because he wasn’t sure if he’d get his job back.

“The information I had at the time, I made the best decision,” Cousins said. “You also know that if you sit down [in] Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back. 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. So that was something I 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.”

The Falcons did eventually bench Cousins in Week 16. Penix took over and played solidly, though the team went 1-2 in those games and missed the playoffs.