For the next two or three years, people will likely debate whether the Minnesota Vikings made the right decision in trading Kirk Cousins for J.J. McCarthy. But what about the Atlanta Falcons? Did they make the right choice in signing the quarterback away from Minnesota?
Just weeks after making their franchise-changing decision, the Falcons raised eyebrows when, to the surprise of most sports fans, they selected former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the NFL draft.
In light of this, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon forecast that Atlanta is “likely to regret” signing Cousins to a $180 million contract ($100 million guaranteed) this offseason.
Gagnon wrote, “They strangely wasted a top-10 pick on Cousins’ eventual successor instead of giving him more support, and Cousins is far from a lock to lead them to success.” “He has only participated in one postseason victory in his NFL career, coming off an Achilles injury heading into his age-36 season.”
Kirk Cousins, the Getty quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was part of the reason he left the Minnesota Vikings, as he was going to be drafted as a rookie quarterback.
It might not be just the Falcons who have regrets in the end.
One of the main reasons Cousins decided to leave Minnesota after the draft, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, was that the Vikings told him they were going to pick a quarterback in the first round. After the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year contract the previous month, reporters questioned him about his response to the team’s action.
On May 14, reporters specifically asked if he would choose to travel to Atlanta knowing that Penix would be following closely behind.
Cousins stated, “I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” according to NFL.com. “There are many ways in which we could continue down that path for a very long time, but it is not beneficial to us. I’m thrilled to have this chance. Being a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons is a true privilege, and I try to live up to the opportunity they’ve given me every day by working hard.
After a few weeks to think it over, Cousins’ response was somewhat inconsistent with his initial feelings following the Falcons’ unexpected draft day decision.
According to Dianna Russini, “the Falcons called Kirk Cousins when they were on the clock to let him know.” According to what I’ve been told, Cousins knew a quarterback would be taken into consideration, but he didn’t think his replacement would be selected in the first round. They say he’s a little taken aback.
The NFL fined the Falcons for improperly signing Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings Getty Kirk Cousins is an Atlanta Falcons quarterback.
Because of an unsuitable recruitment strategy, Atlanta lost more than $180 million to Cousins.
The Falcons were fined $250,000 by the NFL and forfeited their 2025 fifth-round pick as punishment for their manipulation of Cousins’ courtship. Additionally, Terry Fontenot, the general manager, was fined $50,000 by the league office.
Marc Raimondi and Tim McManus of ESPN reported on June 13 that “Cousins indicated during his introductory news conference that he spoke with the Falcons’ head trainer before 4 p.m. ET on March 13, when the new league year began,” following his signing to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million on the first official day of free agency.
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