Former GM has surprising take on Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr.

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky isn't the only noteworthy member of the football community defending the Atlanta Falcons for selecting Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

As shared by Sean Keeley of The Comeback, former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim explained during a Friday appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" program that he loved Atlanta drafting Penix after the club signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed in March. 

Keim noted that Cousins is 35 years old (turns 36 in August) and is coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered in late October. While there's no reason to believe Cousins will experience any significant setback in his recovery, it's also unknown what he'll be following such a serious injury. 

"And to me, Michael Penix Jr. was the best natural, pure passer in this draft," Keim continued. 

Those who have disagreed with Keim and Orlovsky aren't down on Penix as much as they are stunned that a team that made the biggest quarterback-related splash in free agency grabbed that quarterback's eventual replacement using a draft asset that otherwise could've been spent on somebody who would've started on offense or defense this September. During the show segment, Keim focused on what Penix could offer the Falcons as a rookie if Cousins isn't available for any reason. 

"Smooth stroke," Keim said about Penix. "Tremendous anticipation. Great ball placement. I thought, again, you could talk about the injuries all you want, which, again, is forecasting. I can’t forecast all those injuries. But I can tell you right now from a pure passing standpoint, the guy’s exceptional." 

For those wondering, Keim's Arizona teams accumulated a total record of 80-80-2 with three playoff appearances and a single postseason victory from 2013 through the 2022 campaign. 

Cousins clearly isn't thrilled about having to share Atlanta's quarterback room with a first-round pick this spring and summer. Individuals such as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk have openly wondered if the four-time Pro Bowl selection now wishes he would've offered the Minnesota Vikings more of a discount at any point between last offseason and early March. 

CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr suggested on Friday afternoon there's little chance Cousins will be with the Falcons on the opening night of the 2026 draft. Atlanta general manager Terry Fontenot probably didn't tell Cousins last month such a scenario would already be possible.