In the 2o24 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons made the shocking decision to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round, despite having acquired veteran Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason.
As is usually the case with first-round quarterback selections, Penix eventually supplanted Cousins as the starter. Cousins, who is featured in a new season of Netflix’s Quarterback, is being candid with the cameras about his feelings after Atlanta’s surprising draft decision.
“I wasn’t expecting us to take a quarterback,” Cousins said on the show. “At the time, it felt like I’d been a little bit misled — or certainly if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would have affected my decision.
“I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there, if both teams are gonna be drafting a quarterback high.”
Cousins also spoke about the frustrations of having to learn a new offense on the show.
“It’s different enough to feel like I’m starting over,” he said.
In Week One of last season, a fumble occurred due to a miscommunication during a snap, leading to the ball being snapped to a motioning tight end.
“I knew that was gonna happen,” Cousins said as he came off the field.
“I have to give the foot, then send you,” Cousins told Dwelley on the sideline. “I sent you and then gave the foot. And if I do that, we have no room for error. It’s a fumble every time. It was just — all week long, I was paranoid. I’m gonna do it one time and screw it up. And it did.”
Cousins is still currently on the Falcons’ roster, but with tensions being so high between him and the organization, it isn’t looking as if he’ll finish the season in Atlanta.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.