Falcons Michael Penix Jr.,Kirk Cousins QB drama coverage is getting out of hand

The biggest story to come out of the 2024 NFL Draft is the Atlanta Falcons selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick. While Penix's stock increased as we got closer to the draft, the move was shocking, considering the Falcons just signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract a month prior.

General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris reiterated that the move was made to ensure the organization won't have to worry about the quarterback situation ever again. Experiencing the play of Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder the past couple of seasons had the Falcons scared, and they decided to ensure they had a succession plan in place.

It's no secret that the quarterback room of Cousins and Penix have dominated headlines in the NFL. On Wednesday, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter only added to the "drama," reporting that the Falcons had put a waiver claim in for former New England Patriots quarterback Nathan Rourke. Ultimately the Falcons lost out on Rourke to the New York Giants.

Falcons put in a waiver claim for QB Nathan Rourke, lose to Giants

Rourke was recently waived by the Patriots, who used the third-overall pick on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. With the team also using a sixth-round pick on Tennessee's Joe Milton and having Bailey Zappe on the roster, they decided to part ways with Rourke.

As for Rourke he joins a quarterbacks room at the Giants facility also containing Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. Realistically, Rourke will see playing time during the preseason.

The Falcons have Cousins leading the depth chart, followed by Penix, Taylor Heinicke, and John Paddock.

There was a lot of talk recently about the Cousins-Penix quarterback duo. The MMQB's Albert Breer reported that Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings this offseason due to their plans to draft a quarterback with a high pick. Cousins would join the Falcons on a lucrative contract, in which he'll receive $100 million guaranteed. Also, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Falcons owner Arthur Blank was on board with Fontenot's and Morris' plan to draft Penix in the first round due in part to the futility at the quarterback position the past couple of seasons after trading away Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.

Despite the shock of the move, Penix revealed that Cousins called him after he was drafted, and the rookie said that they had "a good conversation." Realistically, Penix isn't going to start right away, as Cousins was signed with the expectation to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs.

But let's be real here, their waiver claim on Rourke was a depth move, nothing more.