The Falcons finished with a 7-10 record last season, earning the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As part of an offseason overhaul, Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith and signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million contract.
That deal could only be seen as a long-term commitment to Cousins as the franchise's cornerstone signal caller, but draft night caused a stir on that front. For a team that desperately needed help at so many other positions, the Falcons made a shocking decision to double down at quarterback.
Atlanta picked Washington star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with its first-round pick, causing an uproar from NFL fans and media everywhere.
Why did Atlanta take a quarterback in the first round after committing so much money to Cousins? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.
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Why did the Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr.?
The Falcons' decision to draft Penix was confounding on a few different levels.
Atlanta just signed Cousins to a $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed and desperately needed help on the defensive side of the ball.
On top of that, Penix wasn't even viewed as the best quarterback available by consensus. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy — who beat Penix in the national championship — was still on the board and would go two picks later to the Vikings at No. 10.
Atlanta was confident it got its guy, though.
"If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him, and if he sits for four or five years, that's a great problem to have because we're doing so well at that position," Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said after the draft.
"So, it's as simple as, if you see a guy you believe in at that position, you have to take him."
On the surface, it was — and still is — a questionable decision to take another quarterback instead of a prospect who could have helped in an area of need. When you dive a little deeper, you can start to make some sense of the pick, even if it doesn't directly help the Falcons this season.
Penix is projected to be a better arm talent than McCarthy and a better fit with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who was coming from Sean McVay's pass-heavy scheme with the Rams.
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On top of that, Cousins is 36 years old and coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, so it doesn't hurt to have a reliable insurance policy.
Unless Penix has to step in for Cousins due to injury, Atlanta will take a similar approach that the Packers did with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love or the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes in letting the rookie sit behind a veteran until he's ready.
That strategy worked out pretty well for those two franchises.
Michael Penix Jr. college stats
Penix led the entire nation with 4,903 passing yards, ranked third with 36 passing touchdowns and was the runner-up to Jayden Daniels for the Heisman Trophy.
He finished his injury-riddled, six-year college career with 13,741 passing yards, 96 passing touchdowns and 34 interceptions.
| Year | School | GP | Comp% | Pass Yds | Pass TDs | INTs |
| 2018 | Indiana | 3 | 61.8 | 219 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Indiana | 6 | 68.8 | 1,394 | 10 | 4 |
| 2020 | Indiana | 6 | 56.4 | 1,645 | 14 | 4 |
| 2021 | Indiana | 5 | 53.7 | 939 | 4 | 7 |
| 2022 | Washington | 13 | 65.3 | 4,641 | 31 | 8 |
| 2023 | Washington | 15 | 65.4 | 4,903 | 36 | 11 |
| Career | — | 48 | 63.3 | 13,741 | 96 | 34 |
Kirk Cousins contract
As mentioned previously, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed and a $50 million signing bonus. He has a potential out in his contract before the 2026 season, per Spotrac.
You can find the full figures of his deal below.
| Year | Age | Base Salary |
| 2024 | 36 | $12.5 million |
| 2025 | 37 | $27.5 million |
| 2026 | 38 | $35 million |
| 2027 | 39 | $35 million |
| 2028 | 40 | UFA |
