Falcons brass defend draft night shocker, mum on Kirk Cousins reaction

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Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris had a lot of explaining to do after the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. 

Responsible for the biggest shocker of the evening, the Falcons drafted former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick, a decision that came just a little over a month after veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins was signed to a four-year, $180 million deal. 

Michael Penix Jr., #9 of the Washington Huskies, looks on prior to the Pac-12 Championship game against the Oregon Ducks at Allegiant Stadium on December 1, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

To make matters worse, the former Minnesota Vikings star was also in the dark about the Falcons’ plans until Atlanta was already on the clock. 

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Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told ESPN immediately after that Cousins was informed about plans to draft Penix only at that moment and that there’s a feeling of frustration that the first-round pick wasn’t used to improve the roster for the season ahead. 

Fontenot and Morris appeared to go into damage control in their press conference reporters.  

"You don’t pass up that opportunity," Fontenot said, calling Penix a "high-caliber" player.  

"Kirk Cousins is our quarterback, we’re very excited about Kirk, very excited about this team, and Michael Penix is – we’re talking about the future," he continued, before reiterating the Falcons' support of Cousins. 

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks during a news conference Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Flowery Branch,