Kirk Cousins was reportedly given almost no heads up on Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. in first round of NFL Draft

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect a statement from Kirk Cousin's agent, Mike McCartney

The Atlanta Falcons made the first shock in the 2024 NFL Draft with their first round pick.

With the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, Atlanta selected former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr., which caused some heads to be scratched within the NFL considering the fact the Falcons recently signed former Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year/$180 million (with $100 million guaranteed) contract.

According to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the Falcons did not give a heads-up to Cousins on the selection of Penix.

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"I just reached out to his agent, Mike McCartney, I'm sure (NFL Network NFL insider) Ian (Rapoport) has as well, he was not given a heads up," Jeremiah said on the NFL Network's broadcast of Thursday's NFL draft in Detroit. "Kirk Cousins was not given really a heads up on this whole thing."

Kirk Cousin agent, Mike McCartney, makes statement

Late Thursday night, McCartney made a statement in response to the Falcons taking Penix Jr. in the first round.

"Yes, it was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation," McCartney said in a statement tweeted out by NFL Network's Mike Garafalo.

The Athletic's senior NFL insider Dianna Russini reported a similar report to Jeremiah, but said the Falcons called Cousins when the pick was being made.

"The Falcons called Kirk Cousins when they were on the clock to let him know. From what I learned, Cousins understood a QB would be considered but he did not believe his successor would be taken in the first round. I'm told he's a bit stunned," Russini wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles injury that he sustained last season as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-foot-3 quarterback Cousins was taken in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the now Washington Commanders. He went 50-37-1 in six seasons with the Vikings where he threw for 23,265 yards and 171 total passing touchdowns before signing with the Falcons this offseason.

According to ESPN's college football insider Pete Thamel, only the first two years of Cousins contract with Atlanta are guaranteed — which is perhaps a reason why the Falcons selected Penix Jr. — but it was still a surprise move that was made during Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. caught Kirk Cousins off guard, per reports