All eyes were on Kirk Cousins after the Falcons selected former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cousins, who will be 36 at the start of the season, clearly hoped Atlanta was going to use its first-round pick on a player that would have an immediate impact.
However, after having some time to digest the selection, Cousins says he is not angry and is ready to move on.
"I don't think there can be [beef]. I don't think it's helpful," Cousins said on the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast. "We're trying to win the Super Bowl, and it's hard enough. So let's all be on the same page and let's go try to win the Super Bowl."
Cousins is smart to put it in the past. The 12-year veteran knows better than anyone how difficult it is to make the playoffs and, nonetheless, make a run to the Super Bowl.
Plus, the Falcons have reiterated that Cousins is still their guy.
"What we did to get Kirk Cousins should tell everybody what we believe in Kirk Cousins," assistant general manager Kyle Smith said via the team's official website. "Then, in the draft, Michael Penix was there. It's a quarterback — a young quarterback — that we believe in. We pulled that trigger. I mean, that's as clear as I can say it."
Cousins' four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed supports just that.
There is also an argument for the Falcons adding a talented young quarterback to the room. Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles, and although he seems to be progressing in the right direction, his age is a big factor.
Cousins has been around long enough to know the NFL is a business.
"You're reminded again that there are things you control, and there are a lot of things you don't control," Cousins added. "This wasn't like a foreign concept. This is the NFL. Anything can happen."
The question now is: how short will Cousins' leash be with Penix Jr. waiting patiently behind?
