While everyone in sports media discussed Kirk Cousins and his reaction to the Atlanta Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr., not many people thought how the Washington quarterback, who’s been through so much up until Thursday’s announcement, would feel about it.
While Penix being drafted at No. 8 overall should have been a celebratory moment, it’s been eclipsed by a mostly negative response in the media. Almost immediately after the pick, Cousins, through his agent, let the media know he was unhappy with the decision and how the Falcons handled the situation.
Given his recent decision to sign a three-year, nine-figure pact with Atlanta, Cousins’ frustration is understandable. However, his public airing of grievances overshadowed a young man’s momentous achievement, especially considering Penix’s hard work overcoming serious injuries to get to this point in his career.
While most of the talk surrounding Cousins, especially after Daniel Jeremiah relayed a message from the veteran quarterback’s agent, Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt elected to take the road less traveled and show support for how the Washington product had every right to be even more frustrated.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show Friday, Klatt argued that Penix is the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft, even when discussing Caleb Williams. In his reasoning, Klatt defended Penix’s experience under Kalen DeBoer in Washington, where he frequently operated from the pocket, read defenses, and could make snap decisions. At the same time, while acknowledging successful succession plans where young quarterbacks sit behind and learn from veterans — like in Green Bay — Klatt questioned why a Day 1 ready player like Penix should sit behind a veteran like Cousins.
“If I was Michael Penix, I would be more furious than even Kirk Cousins,” Klatt said Friday. “I waited all that time. I had all those injuries. I got myself to Washington and had these two amazing years. I’m an older guy. What’s more valuable in the NFL? Being drafted in the top 10 or getting a second contract? Getting a second contract. How does Michael Penix get on the field to prove himself ready for a second contract? Now, when’s his second contract going to be? I just don’t understand.”
Klatt added that you rarely win a championship when you have a mountain of dead cap space, hinting that if the Falcons wanted to turn over the keys to Penix before Cousins guaranteed money was off the books, they’d be penalized pretty hard and strapped for cash.
“If I was Michael Penix, I don’t know how quickly I would sign,” said Klatt. “I don’t know how quickly he would force the issue, but I want to play…I’m so thankful I’m in the top 10, but what in the world?”
What in the world is right. And if the Falcons are under the impression that Penix is going to sit for four to five years behind Cousins, they may be in for a rude awakening.
[The Rich Eisen Show on YouTube]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.