The Atlanta Falcons pulled a stunning move when they took Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of then NFL Draft on Thursday night, and one longtime reporter had a hilarious way of describing the uncomfortable situation.
The Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick on Penix. One reason the decision was so surprising is that almost no one expected the former Washington star to be taken in the top 10 and ahead of JJ McCarthy. But more than that, the Falcons were not expected to draft a quarterback early after they signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year contract last month.
While discussing the biggest story of the draft on Friday morning, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network used a legendary analogy to sum up what is going on in Atlanta.
“This isn’t a relationship that’s gone south. This is cheating on your wife on the honeymoon,” Pelissero said.
https://twitter.com/art_stapleton/status/1783819817327153179
That might be exactly how Cousins feels. The 35-year-old left the Minnesota Vikings — his team for the last six seasons — to sign a $180 million deal with Atlanta. The Falcons still have to pay him $100 million in guaranteed money, so they must believe in Cousins in the short team. Cousins now knows it is only a matter of time before he starts getting pushed out, however.
It quickly became clear on Thursday that Cousins did not see the Penix pick coming. In addition to trying to win games in Atlanta, Cousins will likely be asked to serve as a mentor for an up-and-coming star quarterback. That almost certainly was not in the job description when he agreed to the deal.
