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Apparently quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was a lot more popular than we all thought heading into draft night.
Before the Atlanta Falcons shocked the world by drafted the former Heisman Trophy finalist with their No. 8 overall pick, a trio of other teams tried their best to trade up and get him themselves. According to NFL insider James Palmer, the three teams were the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.
“The #Seahawks, #Saints and #Raiders all tried to get into the top 10 for Michael Penix per sources,” Palmer wrote.
But the Falcons stood firm and took Penix with their pick, instantly creating a QB controversy between him and newly-minted starter Kirk Cousins. It’s a move that certainly has not sat well with Cousins or his reps according to reports.
The decision is also a bit of a head-scratching one for a team that has a quarterback in place and seems likely to let Penix sit and learn for a year or two while Cousins gets to work.
But there’s one big problem: Penix is already in his mid-20s. Penix turns 24 in a few weeks and if he doesn’t play as a rookie in 2024, he won’t see his first NFL action until he’s 25. Even Aaron Rodgers – who had to wait until his fourth NFL season to get his first start with the Green Bay Packers – was getting NFL starts before he hit his silver year.
Do you think those three teams were really working to trade up for Penix, or did the Falcons play themselves?