Kirk Cousins exposes Falcons misleading him by drafting Michael Penix Jr. on Netflix's Quarterback - "I had no reason to leave Minnesota"

Kirk Cousins is being featured once again on Netflix's Quarterback series. He was one of the three quarterbacks followed in Season 1, along with Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota, and is inlcluded in Season 2 as well, with Joe Burrow and Jared Goff.

One of the most intriguing storylines in Season 2 surround the Atlanta Falcons decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. despite having already signed Kirk Cousins during the free agency period last year. This situation was addressed during the first episode and Cousins made some interesting comments about how it all played out.

Cousins explained:

"I wasn't expecting us to take a quarterback. At the time, it felt like I'd been a little bit misled, or certainly if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would have affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there, if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high."

Kirk Cousins described that one of main reasons why he decided to leave the Minnesota Vikings was because he wanted a more stable role as a starting quarterback. The Vikings apparently informed him that they were likely to take a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft and did so by selecting JJ McCarthy.

Cousins admitted that this situation directly contributed to why he joined the Atlanta Falcons, where he clearly believed that he would have job security. This is why he stated that he felt misled as the franchise selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick. It took less than one year for the rookie to surpass the veteran on their depth chart, leaving Cousins as an expensive back-up.

Mike Florio chimes in on Kirk Cousins being "misled" by Falcons about Michael Penix Jr. pick

Penix and Cousins

Mike Florio recently stated his opinion on the Atlanta Falcons' situation surrounding Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. in a recent article with Pro Football Talk. He warned other quarterbacks to take notice of how Cousins was "misled" when he decided to deaprt the Minnesota Vikings.

Florio stated:

"It's a tangible, and valubable, example for quarterbacks who are thinking about changing teams in the future. You never know what that team is going to do with its first-round pick. You never know how different the offense is going to be until you're in it."

In addition to the Falcons' shocking decision to draft Penix, Cousins also admitted that he struggled a bit to learn the new offensive system that included much more pre-snap motions than what he was previously used to. Florio referenced this situation, which had a direct influence on a game-losing fumble in Week 1 resulting from a Ross Dwelley pre-snap motion and incorrect snap call by Cousins.