Falcons select Michael Penix, Jr. in a shocking NFL Draft surprise

DETROIT — With the 8th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. Yes, the Falcons needed a quarterback to shore up their long-term future after current quarterback Kirk Cousins’s time in uniform is completed. However, the selection of Penix with the 8th pick after paying Cousins $180 million nearly six weeks ago, is absolutely shocking. The decision to take Penix stunned the 275,000 people at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. First, Cousins’s earnings in 2024 ($12.5 million) and 2025 ($27.5 million) are fully guaranteed. If the Falcons were to release Cousins after the 2024 season, they’d be on the hook for $65 million in dead money and cost themselves $25 million in net cap space. Even a post-June 1 cut would leave $40 million in dead cap on Atlanta’s books, placing the team in cap Hell. However, Penix was complimentary of Cousins Thursday night. “He’s been in the league,” Penix said of Cousins in a phone call with the press. “He’s been in there for a while. He’s played a lot of football. I feel like I’m gonna come in and I’m gonna learn. I’m gonna learn from him.” Penix’s credentials...