ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Even Adam Schefter can’t resist joking about the Falcons

By Adam Patrick | Last updated 5/13/24

When the Atlanta Falcons made the decision to select former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in last month's NFL Draft, millions of jaws dropped to the floor.

The reactions didn't really have much to do with the fact that Penix was drafted with one of this year's top-10 selections. The shockwaves that were felt were mostly due to the fact that the Falcons had signed free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a multi-year contract worth $180M less than two months earlier.

Due to his age (just turned 24 on May 8), many didn't think Penix was going to need to spend much time on the bench before getting a shot to start in the NFL.

But with Atlanta locking themselves in with a deal for Cousins that is going to be difficult to get out of in 2025 without the team taking on a significant amount of dead cap space, it's possible that the Falcons' rookie passer might have to sit on the sidelines for at least two seasons before he gets a legitimate shot to start.

Unsurprisingly, many have taken an opportunity to poke a little fun at Atlanta ever since their decision to draft Penix right after signing Cousins. ESPN's Adam Schefter joined in on the fun recently when he made a joke on X at the Falcons' expense after the NBA's Atlanta Hawks wound up with the No. 1 pick in their league's draft later this year following the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery.

Atlanta is not expected to take another quarterback. https://t.co/jRrAO9mddc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2024

To be fair, it was pretty low-hanging fruit, and it was definitely all in good fun from Schefter. A few Atlanta sports fans likely had a bit of a chuckle after seeing the NFL insider's post on X.

As for what is actually going to happen on the field for the Falcons next season, they seem to be all in with Cousins as their starting quarterback. Atlanta is hoping that his addition can help get the most out of some of their most promising young weapons on offense like tight end Michael Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.

Cousins has always managed to put up solid individual numbers during his career as an NFL starting signal-caller. However, his personal stats have rarely translated into his teams going on to have success in the playoffs.

Will things go differently for Cousins in Atlanta, or will Penix possibly end up getting an opportunity to start sooner than many are currently anticipating?

More must-reads: