This year’s NFL draft was quite a roller coaster ride for the Atlanta Falcons’ fanbase when their club decided to select Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall. It raised eyebrows, especially considering the franchise had signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year contract. However, it might not just have been a misclick, as many fans suggested, or a blunder, since recent reports suggest that the front office, particularly Raheem Morris, might have been planning this for a while now.
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NFL Insider Ari Mierov recently dove deep into the story behind the Falcons snatching Penix at the 8th overall pick, and it all dates back to the time when the team fired Dan Quinn. Subsequently, the team interviewed several candidates for the permanent position, including Morris, who laid out certain conditions and a plan if he got hired.
Among Morris’s conditions, he also showcased a succession plan for the QB position once the franchise moved on from Matt Ryan. The Falcons, however, chose to go with then-Titans OC Arthur Smith, who promised them a solution to the QB problem, which didn’t really happen. In his three 7-10 seasons, Smith jumped from QB to QB, which ultimately led to his firing.
So when the search for a new HC began, Morris’s name was at the top of the list, and just like the last time, he regurgitated the same plan as before about having a successor in place. He wanted multiple, capable QBs in the building for sustained success.
So they brought in Cousins for big money, a QB similar to Matt Ryan, a good QB but a short-term solution. So Raheem potentially suggested the franchise look for a successor in a QB-heavy draft and consider drafting that guy with their invaluable 8th pick. After multiple interviews, evaluations, and a lot of consideration, Penix’s was the one that appealed to them the most. He will sit and learn, and when Kirk calls it quits, Penix will be ready to step in.
Here’s the story and the context as to why the #Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 in the NFL Draft.
It all goes back to HC Raheem Morris in 2020….
This is the story on @The33rdTeamFB: pic.twitter.com/NXQr2SckZb
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 1, 2024
A great tale of Quarterbacks for many to hear, but not everyone is convinced by the explanation and doesn’t believe the pick will be great.
Many Fans Are Still Not on Board With Drafting Michael Penix Jr.
Fans asserted that an explanation such as this wouldn’t change the fact that drafting Michael Penix Jr. wasn’t justified. They feel that Penix Jr. would have made more sense if he were in his early twenties, and they weren’t paying Kirk that much for four long years. A few even asserted that picking a QB for the future wasn’t something the Falcons needed. Take a look:
Context doesn’t stop it from being a bad pick.
— Breakfast Carrot (@BreakfastCarrot) May 1, 2024
Another chimed and said,
If you don’t think Kirk is the long term future at QB, you don’t give him 100 million
If you thought Michael Penix was worth the 8th pick, you don’t pay Kirk
No team has ever invested a top selection like this in a succession plan. The packers always take raw QBs late 1st.
— TivsTakes (@tivs04) May 1, 2024
A fan quipped,
That would make more sense if they didn’t pay Kirk that much and if penix wasn’t already in his mid twenties
— Remy Lebeau (@Same0LBee) May 1, 2024
Someone commented,
That’s great, but this (Penix) was a luxury pick when they needed difference makers on defense and had the top defender at every position available at pick 8.
— Patrick Williams (@patr1ckw) May 2, 2024
Others said,
I mean if you wanna plan for the future, why not get the 21 year old, and not the 24 year old who has torn his ACL twice and has had shoulder injuries?
— King_Of_Fedoras (@King_Of_Fedoras) May 1, 2024
In today’s NFL, where more emphasis is put on the offensive front, the QB is the most important position in the system. Having a good shot-caller is detrimental to the success of the team. And having two good ones is a bonus. The Falcons are learning from the mistakes that have plagued many franchises. For instance, the Patriots have been struggling since Brady’s departure. The Broncos, too, couldn’t find a solution since Peyton Manning hung up his cleats.
Meanwhile, the Packers are thriving because of their novel approach. Many teams and QBs have benefited from drafting young QBs and then allowing them to sit for a season or more to develop before handing them the reins. Thus, it can be said with certainty that Atlanta is in a good position and will reap the benefits of getting a young QB soon.
