It’s not clear if the Las Vegas Raiders planned to take quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and it will never be known for sure since the Atlanta Falcons selected him at No. 8. This was the draft’s biggest surprise as the team spent $180 million to sign Kirk Cousins in free agency.
Penix is already 24 and it doesn’t make sense to sit him for the entire duration of Cousins’ four-year contract. The quarterback’s time in Atlanta could be shorter than expected and might even last just one season. If that’s the case, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell listed the Raiders among the teams that could consider adding him next offseason.
“The other potential landing spots appear to be with the Raiders, Steelers and Titans, none of whom have a settled quarterback of the future,” Barnwell wrote in a May 8 column. “The Giants, Jets, Saints, Seahawks and even the Dolphins could also be in the market for a veteran starter. If Cousins plays well in 2024 and both he and the Falcons want to split, there will be a market for him next year. Next time around, Cousins might just want to try to get his new organization to promise it won’t draft a quarterback immediately after acquiring him.”
The Raiders didn’t draft a single quarterback so it’s likely the need at the position will remain unless Garnder Minshew or Aidan O’Connell take a major leap in 2024.
Will Kirk Cousins Want out of Atlanta so Quickly?
From @NFLTotalAccess: #Falcons QB Kirk Cousins has passed every medical test as the on-field work begins. pic.twitter.com/n9AqXFwUvz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2024
Cousins is going to put on a brave face this season but he’s likely not completely thrilled that the Falcons used such a valuable draft pick on his replacement instead of trying to make the team better. It’s justifiable if the Falcons took 21-year-old J.J. McCarthy as he can sit for a few years and still be young when he takes over as the starter.
Penix is much older which has to make Cousins fill a bit of pressure. According to ESPN, the quarterback’s camp wasn’t thrilled with what Atlanta did.
“Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that the Falcons did not tell the quarterback they would pick Penix until the team was on the clock,” Marc Raimondi wrote in an April 25 column. “McCartney said there is frustration and confusion coming from Cousins’ camp because Atlanta did not use its first-round pick to make the team better in 2024.”
Cousins isn’t going to want to be anybody’s backup so if there’s talk of replacing him with Penix by Year 2, he’ll likely want to explore other opportunities.
Is Kirk Cousins a Fit With Las Vegas Raiders?
Cousins will be 37 when the 2025 season starts and it remains to be seen how he’ll play coming off a torn Achilles. For the Raiders, it wouldn’t make much sense to add the quarterback. It will likely take a trade to add him and he’s got a huge contract.
The Raiders would likely prefer to stay young at the position. Cousins was a free agent this offseason and the team didn’t appear to have any interest in him. That’s unlikely to change once he’s a year older.
