Penix: I had ‘good conversation’ with Cousins

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. spoke on the phone Thursday night after the Atlanta Falcons stunningly took Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Penix, who led Washington to the national championship game last season, said Cousins reached out to him and the two quarterbacks had a “very good conversation,” although he did disclose specifics about what they spoke about.

“I’m gonna keep it just between me and him right now,” Penix said Friday at a news conference at the Falcons facility. “But it was definitely a good conversation and I’m super excited to work with him, and he said he’s the same with me.”

The Falcons signed Cousins last month to a four-year, $180 million contract that includes $100 million of guaranteed money. Atlanta’s decision to draft a quarterback with its top-10 pick drew surprise, including from Cousins himself.

Cousins was not informed that the Falcons would take a quarterback until they called him while the team was on the clock Thursday night. Mike McCartney, Cousins’ agent, told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that there was frustration and confusion coming from Cousins’ camp, because Atlanta didn’t use its first-round pick to make the team better in 2024. Instead, the Falcons used the selection on Cousins’ apparent successor before Cousins even played a down for the team.

McCartney said Cousins understands the business of football and is ready to move on, but there was indeed surprise about the Falcons’ decision.

“He got called on the clock, obviously because of the sensitive time with the issues of what you got going on,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Thursday night. “It’s never a right time to talk to a quarterback about those things, and reactions are always going to be private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides to tell you some of those things that are whatever they may be.

“But he’s a competitor, just like us all. And you can always expect those things to go just like you kind of think.”

Penix said he watched the Quarterback series on Netflix that featured Cousins, who he called an “amazing guy.”

“I’m super blessed to be able to be in a room with him and to be able to work with him and learn from him and support him as he continues with his career,” Penix said.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said Thursday that when a team sees a quarterback it believes in, it cannot pass up the opportunity, and that was the mindset with taking Penix at No. 8 overall when Atlanta still had plenty of other needs to fill for 2024, including an anemic pass rush.

Fontenot and Morris painted Penix as the quarterback of the future, following Cousins.

“If you believe in a quarterback, you have to take him,” Fontenot said. “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.”

Penix said he’s comfortable sitting and learning behind Cousins initially, but he added he feels like he was the best quarterback in the draft, and he’ll be ready to step in when needed. Only two quarterbacks have made their first professional start at 25 years or older in the common draft era — Brandon Weeden and Chad Pennington. Penix turns 24 on May 8.

The left-handed Penix led the FBS with 4,903 passing yards in 2023 and was second in the FBS in 2022 (4,641). He is the first player with 4,500 passing yards or more in two straight seasons since Patrick Mahomes did it in 2015 and 2016 for Texas Tech.

“If I’m not on the field right away, I’m learning,” Penix said. “But at the same time, I’m still gonna prepare like I’m gonna be on that field, because you never know what can happen. You never know when your number is called, but you gotta be ready.

“So, for me, I’m gonna do whatever I can to be ready at Day One. .. I’m still gonna put in the same work. I’m gonna prepare, I’m gonna work just as [much as if] I’m the starter.”

Penix is a left-handed quarterback know for his big arm and polished skills on the pocket. Many expected him to drop in the draft due to his age and injury history, which includes four season-ending injuries in college. He was asked about the description of his selection at No. 8 as shocking and brushed it off.

“As far as like what anybody else feels about just the decision that was made, I had no control over that,” Penix said. “All I can control is what I do and what I bring to this team. And for me, I know that I’m gonna be a great leader, not just on, but off the field as well. And I’m gonna be a great person and great teammate as well.”