Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was blindsided when the Atlanta Falcons selected rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick a month after signing him to a massive four-year $180 million contract.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, one of Cousins’ reasons for leaving Minnesota was the Vikings informed him they would likely select a first-round quarterback.
Cousins couldn’t outrun the fact any team willing to make him their starter must also begin to plan for the future with the 35-year-old Pro Bowler coming back from an Achilles tear. The Vikings did so for years, dating back to the 2021 draft when the previous regime helmed by Rick Spielman told Cousins they would consider a first-round quarterback.
The question has lingered in Atlanta: would Cousins have signed if he knew the Falcons would take a quarterback in the first round?
Cousins did his best to clear the air, but ultimately deflected the idea of any regrets in his first appearance for Falcons offseason activities.
“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” Cousins told reporters on May 14, per NFL.com. “We could go down that path for a long time in a lot of ways, and it just doesn’t do us any good.
“I’m excited for this opportunity. I think it’s a real privilege to be a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and I’m trying to make good on the opportunity that they’ve given me with the way I work each day.”
Ex-Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Says There’s ‘No Beef’ With Falcons
Appearing on a May 14 “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, podcast, Cousins spoke more candidly about the potentially awkward dynamic with Penix.
“Mike’s been great,” Cousins said. “(There’s) always going to be competition in this league, and you’ve always got to go out and earn it. I’m going to control what I can control and also understand there’s a lot that you don’t control. I learned a long time ago that you’ve got to focus on what you can control.”
Penix returned the sentiment when speaking to reporters during rookie minicamps last week, saying he’s “blessed” to learn under the former Vikings quarterback.
“We’re on the same team. It’s not hard to approach that relationship,” Penix said, according to the Tampa Bay Times, which covered Penix in high school. “We’ve got the same goals. That’s to win football games. … It’s definitely going to be great. I’m super blessed to be able to be right here in this position with a veteran in front of me, just learning from him and going about my business each and every day and just trying to find ways to improve and get to where he is, multiple years in the league.”
Cousins Appreciative of Vikings’ Throughout Final Days in Minnesota
While there were months of back-and-forth on whether a deal would get done, Cousins’ departure was years in the making after the new regime under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Adofo-Mensah opted to extend Cousins one year and push to be competitive while retooling the roster on the fly.
Long-term extension talks broke up in March 2023 when the Vikings restructured Cousins’ contract to create cap space for one final run at the playoffs. Kevin O’Connell lifted Cousins to playing some of the best football of his career before rupturing his Achilles in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.
Had Cousins stayed healthy and won a playoff game, there’s the possibility the Vikings would have reconsidered bending a bit more for the veteran quarterback.
However, all signs showed that even if that were the case, the Vikings would still have looked toward finding Cousins’ successor soon — however, there appear to be no hard feelings between the two sides.
“I know Cousins appreciated how open the Vikings were about their draft strategy, even if it meant him leaving,” Breer wrote.
