Terry Fontenot: Falcons would have ‘great problem’ if Michael Penix sits 4-5 years
The Atlanta Falcons have been in the wringer for the last 24 hours after taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Penix will presumably back up 35-year-old Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason coming off an achilles injury. He was a finalist for the Heisman, but was viewed as a debatable first-round pick due to his age–he played six years in college and will turn 24-years-old in May–and injury history.
It was bad process, and even Cousins was reportedly “stunned” by the selection. To make matters worse, general manager Terry Fontenot said the Falcons would have a “great problem” at their hands if Penix sat not just one, two … but four to five years?!?!
General managers or head coaches won’t ever publicly bash the players they pick on draft night. But they also don’t admit the possibility of sitting for four or five years nor openly claim that it’s a “great problem” if they do.
Does he also not know that the fifth-year option is the last possible year that a player can be on a rookie contract … and that’s an “option” for a reason? Every situation is different, but more often than not, it’s also bad process to exercise that option for a player who potentially sits two years, let alone four. Barring injury, it’s more than likely that Penix sits for least 1-2 years and doesn’t start a game until he’s 26-years-old.
What do you think about Fontenot’s comments? Let us know in the comments!
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