Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins (Photo via Falcons on YouTube)

Kirk Cousins is having a rough Thursday night.

The NFL world was taken aback when the Atlanta Falcons selected former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall. Kirk Cousins, a former quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, received a four-year contract worth $180 million with the Falcons. However, given his age of 36 and his recent Achilles tear, one may question how much more he has to play.

Knowing that information, the Atlanta Falcons did Kirk Cousins so much worse when it was reported that they never gave him a heads-up that they were taking a quarterback.

Dianna Russini further added that the Falcons called Cousins when they were on the clock, and although he understood a quarterback would be considered, he did not believe his successor would be taken in the first round.

She added that Kirk Cousins was stunned.

Because of how widely Penix was predicted to come off the board, he was one of the more enigmatic quarterbacks in this class. Some projected him to be among the top ten picks, while others doubted he would be selected at all in the first round.

Now, the Atlanta Falcons have pegged him as the eventual starting quarterback of the franchise despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal.

Michael Penix Jr. Will Eventually Be The Man With The Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons shocked everybody on Thursday when they took Michael Penix Jr. in the first round.

Last season, Penix threw for 4,903 yards with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The biggest knock on him is his injury history.

He’s torn his right ACL twice, once in 2018 and once in 2020. He also had a clavicle fracture in 2019 and an A/C joint separation in 2021.

Despite that, he is 13 years younger than Kirk Cousins and will eventually be the man under center.