Daniel Jeremiah Blasts Michael Penix Jr., Cousins Comparison to Aaron Rodgers, Love
April 29, 2024
The Atlanta Falcons made a bold move in the NFL draft by taking Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick.
The move was somewhat puzzling considering the Falcons recently signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. If Cousins plays out the entirety of that deal, Penix likely won't see action as a starter for several more years.
The Falcons compared the pick to what the Green Bay Packers did when they selected Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft to be a backup to Aaron Rodgers, but NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said that is an "apples to oranges" comparison.
"They came out and used the Green Bay model as their explanation," Jeremiah said on the Pat McAfee Show. "I felt like then and I feel like now the same way, which is that's apples and oranges."
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow"The Falcons used the Green Bay model as their explanation..<br><br>That's apples to oranges because Kirk Cousins hasn't played a game for the Falcons..<br><br>He has no equity with the organization or the city yet" ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoveTheSticks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMSLive?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMSLive</a> <a href="https://t.co/NNdih8Ic2D">pic.twitter.com/NNdih8Ic2D</a>
Jeremiah said drafting Penix isn't comparable to what the Packers did because Cousins, unlike Rodgers at the time, hasn't established himself in Atlanta.
"Kirk Cousins hasn't played a game there," Jeremiah said. "He has no equity with his teammates, he has no equity with the organization, no equity with the city. The first bad game that Kirk Cousins has—he hasn't done anything for them yet. Now you're creating this whole dynamic of, 'Okay, where's the next guy, we've got a No. 8 pick here waiting to come in.' So that dynamic is interesting to me and that could be combustible more so than what was happening there with Green Bay."
He also questioned the move because of the financial aspect. The Falcons could have filled a need by drafting a defensive end, but now will have to find one in free agency and spend more money than they would have had they used the No. 8 pick on one.
"And then there's the financial component where you've paid a quarterback a massive amount of money and they've done it now with Kirk," Jeremiah said. "You have to be able to maximize the rest of your dollars, the rest of your resources. If you take a defensive end there, not only are you saving money, you're getting a good player."
While the move from Atlanta was surprising and questionable, it could pay off if Penix pans out and is made the starter when Cousins' time is over, but the Falcons will have to wait several years to see if that plan comes to fruition.