The Falcons have created a potentially odd dynamic for their quarterbacks’ room by drafting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall just after signing Kirk Cousins in free agency.
But after saying on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast that there’s no beef between him and Penix, Cousins reiterated the same sentiment in his Tuesday press conference.
“Mike’s been great,” Cousins said. “Always going to be competition in this league and you’ve always go out and earn it. I’m going to control what I can control, also understand there’s a lot you don’t control.
“I learned a long time ago that you’ve got to focus on what you can control.”
But when it comes to things Cousins could control, the veteran quarterback may have elected to sign elsewhere if he’d known Atlanta’s plans for the 2024 draft. Cousins didn’t want to get into that theory when asked if he would’ve made a different choice.
“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” Cousins said. “We could go down that path for a long time in a lot of ways. It just doesn’t do us any good. I’m excited for this opportunity that I have. I think it’s a real privilege to be the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons and I’m trying to make good on the opportunity given me with the way I work each day and the way we play this fall.”
As for Atlanta drafting Penix, Cousins said he sees it as a continuation of his usual football journey. Cousins pointed to Nick Foles signing with Michigan State just after he’d committed to the program as one example. Cousins then was drafted in the same class as Robert Griffin III with Washington.
“So, this is more the norm than the exception and I think the [outside] response is that this is the exception,” Cousins said. “When, really, if you know my story, this is more the norm of the journey. And it’s, OK, let’s just start working and building together.”
Cousins noted the draft-night call he received from the Falcons informing him they were taking Penix was “pretty straightforward.”
“I was at the team event at the stadium, was just driving back and they called me and just said, ‘Hey, we’re going to take a quarterback here with the pick.’ And I said, ‘OK,’” Cousins said.
Cousins was asked if he’s going to lead Penix by example or work to build a rapport and responded, “I think it’s going to be it all,” in large part because of the way he feels about how a QBs room should function.
“I think it’s so important that the quarterback room is just working together to help one another succeed. And that’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way it always needs to be, no matter what the names are in the room,” Cousins said. “We need to all be working together to help one another be the best we can be.”