The Atlanta Falcons making quarterback Michael Penix Jr. the eighth general choose of the 2024 NFL Draft after they signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M assured in free company continues to baffle outsiders amid the early days of coaching camp.
Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean supplied a powerful assertion relating to the membership’s present quarterback room whereas talking with reporters on Tuesday.
“Kirk Cousins is our franchise quarterback, is our beginning quarterback and he appears to be doing nice from a medical standpoint,” Clean stated whereas referencing Cousins’ ongoing restoration from the torn proper Achilles he suffered final October, as shared by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Structure. “His perspective, his management, culturally, personally, with our gamers, with the teaching workers, has been nothing wanting excellent. So, we couldn’t be happier with that scenario.”
As lately as an interview launched this week, Cousins hasn’t sounded overly thrilled about the truth that Atlanta used a helpful draft asset to pick out a participant who might substitute him atop the depth chart as quickly as subsequent March. Clean and others throughout the Falcons have repeatedly defended the Penix choose since this previous April and the proprietor hinted on Tuesday that Cousins is not assured something with the franchise past the upcoming marketing campaign.
“Kirk can be 36 initially of the season,” Clean stated. “We hope and pray he’s bought three to 4 nice years in entrance of him, perhaps past that. Who is aware of? However we additionally know that sooner or later, there can be some extent that we’ll want a transition. We wish to be sure that we try this easily.”
As of early Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed what grew to become a win-now Atlanta group upon the signing of Cousins because the betting favourite at -120 odds to assert the NFC South division title for this season. Clean understands some followers want the membership would’ve used the eighth alternative of this yr’s draft to bolster a distinct a part of the roster contemplating many anticipate the 2024 Falcons to do greater than compete for only a playoff berth.
“In the mean time, they might have appreciated a distinct participant,” Clean stated about Falcons supporters. “However sooner or later, down the street, they’ll wish to know that we will have a clean transition at that very important place for the Atlanta Falcons within the Nationwide Soccer League.”
