NFL insider shoots down Falcons, Michael Penix Jr. tampering theory

Some trying to make sense of the Atlanta Falcons drafting Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. via the eighth pick this past Thursday have suggested that the decision was related to the NFL's investigation regarding Atlanta's alleged tampering with veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins.

League insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk poured cold water over that theory on Monday. 

"First, we have no idea where the Falcons would be drafting in round one in 2025," Florio explained. "Second, there’s a long way to go until the next set of draft boards is set. Third, it’s way too early to know whether the Falcons would lose a first-round pick for their tampering with Cousins. Finally, the potential loss of significant draft capital next year is all the more reason to use a top-10 pick on a player who can make an impact during, not after, Cousins’s time as a starter." 

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted during the NFL Scouting Combine that at least one club such as the Falcons had contact with Cousins before the legal tampering portion of free agency got underway. 

The Falcons ultimately signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed, and he may have revealed during his introductory news conference that he spoke with Atlanta's head of public relations and head athletic trainer before the negotiating window opened. 

Back on April 22, Adam Schefter of ESPN noted that the Falcons could lose a future first-round draft pick and also a future third-round selection if the club was found guilty of tampering. 

Interestingly, Schefter mentioned in that same story that "Penix could go as high as No. 8 to the Falcons" on the opening night of this year's draft. 

"There’s no way they were next-leveling the 2024 draft by anticipating the impact of potential tampering penalties on their ability to draft Cousins’s eventual replacement next year," Florio added about the Falcons on Monday. "They decided they wanted Penix, and they took him despite the various complications it will create for the franchise regarding their current and future franchise quarterbacks."

According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, such "complications" could have to do with the fact that the Falcons can essentially escape Cousins' contract after the 2025 season. That may be Atlanta's plan considering those running the organization likely hope Penix proves to be the club's long-term QB1 later this decade.