The Falcons spent $180 million on Kirk Cousins — then didn't tell him they're drafting a quarterback
The biggest surprise pick in Thursday's NFL draft was when the Atlanta Falcons picked quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
The biggest surprise pick in Thursday's NFL draft was when the Atlanta Falcons picked quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180 million contract.
The first-round No. 8 draft pick sent social media into a tailspin and came as a shock to Cousins.
"It was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming," Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, said in a text to the NFL Network. "The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation."
Moments before the pick, McCartney warned in a post on X: "Bout to be shocked."
Cousins, 35, has not publicly commented on the Falcons picking Penix.
Rating: 5