11 months ago
26
Marc RaimondiJul 8, 2025, 06:43 AM ET
- Marc Raimondi's archetypal twelvemonth covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his archetypal twelvemonth astatine ESPN. He joined the institution successful 2019 and was a apical combat sports reporter. He besides covered nonrecreational wrestling and wrote the publication "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster successful 2025. Raimondi besides worked for the New York Post and Newsday, opening successful 2009, covering precocious schoolhouse and assemblage sports, positive the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
Kirk Cousins mightiness person re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings past offseason had helium known the Atlanta Falcons would draught a backmost successful the archetypal round.
For the archetypal clip publicly, the seasoned opened up connected his feelings astir the Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 wide prime successful the 2024 draught successful an occurrence of the Netflix bid "Quarterback," which premiered Tuesday.
Cousins said helium felt "a small spot misled" erstwhile the Falcons took Penix that high. The Falcons had signed Cousins to a declaration worthy astatine slightest $100 cardinal guaranteed conscionable a fewer weeks earlier, tabbing him arsenic their backmost for 2024 and beyond. Then, Atlanta stunned the NFL -- and Cousins -- by taking Penix successful the apical 10, due to the fact that the franchise believed successful him arsenic a aboriginal franchise QB.
Cousins was alert the Falcons mightiness draught a quarterback, but decidedly not that high. He wasn't informed astir the Penix prime until a telephone telephone by violative coordinator Zac Robinson portion Atlanta was connected the clock.
"Certainly, if I had the accusation astir escaped agency, it surely would've affected my decision," Cousins said connected the archetypal occurrence of the season. "I had nary crushed to permission Minnesota with however overmuch we loved it determination if some teams are going to beryllium drafting a backmost high. But I've besides learned successful 12 years successful this league that you're not entitled to anything. It's each astir being capable to gain your spot and beryllium yourself."
The Vikings, who did widen an connection to Cousins past offseason, drafted backmost J.J. McCarthy with the 10th prime successful the 2024 draft.
Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 commencement past season. In Week 10, Cousins took a deed from New Orleans Saints antiaircraft extremity Payton Turner that slammed against Cousins' close arm. Cousins said connected "Quarterback" that helium knew thing was incorrect close distant and then, later, felt symptom successful his shoulder.
The Falcons play took a crisp downward crook opening with that game. Atlanta mislaid 4 straight, with Cousins throwing 8 interceptions and nary touchdown passes during that stretch, the worst of his 13-year career.
Cousins said astatine mandatory minicamp past period that aft the play ended, helium realized helium was much injured than helium thought. At the time, helium said, it felt similar conscionable much symptom helium had to enactment done similar truthful galore bumps and bruises successful the past.
Cousins lone appeared connected the Falcons wounded study erstwhile aft the hit, successful Week 11. After that game, a nonaccomplishment astatine the Denver Broncos, Cousins claimed helium was 100%.
On "Quarterback," Cousins admitted helium didn't privation to beryllium and remainder the arm, giving mode to Penix, due to the fact that helium wasn't definite if he'd get his occupation back.
"The accusation I had astatine the time, I made the champion decision," Cousins said. "You besides cognize that if you beryllium down Week 10 and instrumentality 2 oregon 3 weeks oregon much to fto it heal, you whitethorn ne'er get your occupation back. I retrieve speechmaking Drew Brees' publication backmost successful 2010 erstwhile helium archetypal wrote it, however helium made the constituent that helium tried to ne'er fto his backup spot the tract -- adjacent if it was idiosyncratic who was truly nary threat. He conscionable felt similar you should ne'er bash that. Doug Flutie taught him that.
"So that was thing I ever was alert of, that successful this league, if you springiness idiosyncratic other the chance, if you privation to get Wally Pip'd and there's Lou Gehrig down you, that tin hap astatine the time."
The Falcons did yet seat Cousins successful Week 16. Penix took implicit and played solidly, though the squad went 1-2 successful those games and missed the playoffs.
Most astir the league expected the Falcons to merchandise Cousins this offseason, but it didn't happen. The Falcons picked up his $10 cardinal bonus successful March and helium remains connected the roster heading into grooming camp.
The reasoning internally is that Cousins is worthy much to the squad arsenic Penix's backup than playing for idiosyncratic else, particularly since the Falcons are connected the hook for $27.5 cardinal of his wage this play either way. Atlanta would surely perceive to commercialized offers if they're retired there, with the anticipation that a squad is consenting to instrumentality connected a chunk of that guaranteed money.
"It hurts to spell into work, but you got to beryllium an adult," Cousins said astir being benched. "You've got to beryllium a grown antheral and grip it with maturity. I consciousness atrocious for myself and it's hard to do, but that's what you got to do. And truthful that's benignant of wherever my absorption went."
