The Falcons' Decision To Draft Michael Penix Jr. Is A Paradox

The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to sign Kirk Cousins and draft Michael Penix Jr. is a literal paradox; the only way this situation works out is if it doesn’t. What do I mean by that?

Let’s paint two theoretical pictures of how this story could go.

Situation One: Cousins Works Out

On the one hand, Cousins could exceed expectations, utilize the plethora of weapons at his disposal, and win over the locker room by leading the Falcons to a strong season. That’s a success story, isn’t it? Wrong.

If that happens, they’ll have wasted the eighth overall pick. They’ll have drafted a 24-year-old quarterback who has to sit on the bench as a backup. That pick could have been used to select another weapon, such as Rome Odunze Jr.; they could have bolstered the offensive line or helped their defense by drafting Byron Murphy II or Dallas Turner. Cousins working out will justify their signing him, but in that case, the team will have thrown away a top-ten pick that could have been used to add more young talent to the roster.

Situation Two: Penix Jr. Lives Up To The Hype

The second scenario is one in which Penix Jr. wins the starting job and ends up panning out as the quarterback of the future. Whether Penix Jr. takes the reins due to Cousins’ inadequacy or if the young quarterback wins the job in practice is irrelevant; the Falcons will have wasted $180 million on a player they no longer need. That significant sum of money could have been used to sign multiple players who would help the Falcons win what is a very weak NFC South.

This combination of decisions is one of the most blatantly illogical choices one can remember in recent sports memory. Cousins’ theoretical success will come at the expense of the Falcons’ wasting their eighth overall pick, while Penix Jr. proving himself to be a star quarterback will yield a financial loss of $180 million.

It’s a shame for Falcons fans, given that the team has recently accumulated plenty of offensive talent. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts provide a strong foundation for a great offense.

The only question now is who will be throwing them the football.

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