The football world was shocked when the Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. after giving a monumental deal to Kirk Cousins. Even more shocking was the fact that Cousins didn’t know his team was going to pull that stunt. This Kirk Cousins situation is quite similar to what Russell Wilson is facing in the Pittsburgh Steelers with Justin Fields in line.

If Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins falter, their teams have other options to fall back to. And that’s precisely the reason why Pittsburgh got Justin Fields and the Falcons got Michael Penix Jr. for a $22 million deal. That also happens to be the same thought process that former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson is gravitating toward as he pointed out the teams’ “security blankets.”

The Atlanta Falcons have security on both sides

“Many teams don’t have that security blanket,” said Ochocinco on Nightcap. “The Falcons do. They found one in Kirk Cousins when they traded or him or when they were able to get him. Then they also found one [Michael Penix Jr.] in a draft that you couldn’t pass up. Kirk coming off an Achilles injury, beam! They have security on both sides.”

This came after Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, recently explained the reason behind drafting Penix Jr. Obviously, he is the future QB and a safety blanket if anything happens to Kirk Cousins, who is coming off an Achilles injury. Penix’s $22 million contract might be like peanuts to a dollar if he becomes a superstar in the future. It’s even possible that if this year Cousins fails to fulfill the Falcons’ expectations, the team won’t think twice before shifting to a different starting QB.

“You know Michael Penix Jr. is your quarterback of the future and hell, even this year, I think If Kirk Cousins doesn’t play to the standards in which they like and see fit, Michael Penix..[can take his spot],” said Johnson as Shannon Sharpe intervened to him with a surprised look. It was a shocker for Sharpe to comprehend that there’s a possibility of Cousins being benched in the first year.

Speaking of benching, the NFL town has been quite familiar with Russell Wilson‘s name and his closing days with the Denver Broncos. Now, with Pittsburgh, he has been put in a “pole position” ahead of Justin Fields. However, it won’t be long before Mike Tomlin gives Justin Fields a chance, given Wilson puts up dismal numbers.

“We think it’s going to be a quarterback battle over in Pittsburgh,” said the ex-NFL receiver. “I love what Justin Fields has done. Russell Wilson is going to be the quarterback of that franchise over there in Pittsburgh and if things aren’t going well, Justin Fields will see the field. That’s it. And I think the same thing will happen with Kirk Cousins as well.” That is exactly the point of discussion.

The Falcons and the Steelers are stuck in a similar predicament and only the upcoming season will be available to reveal the power of these two big cards in their respective teams. Meanwhile, concerning Kirk Cousins and the Falcons, their owner is trying to make sure that they have all the bases covered.

Arthur Blank is all in on Kirk Cousins leading the Falcons

The Falcons suffered heavily when they had to part ways with Matt Ryan after 14 years of his service. They struggled badly in the last season. Not drafting a franchise QB in 2021 was admittedly Arthur Blank’s biggest regret. However, he has been determined to fix that with Kirk Cousins and his backup, Penix Jr.

Blanks convoy of coaches ranked Michael Penix Jr. “extraordinarily high” and saw him as a “tremendous player.” The Falcons owner then talked about how he is setting his franchise up so that they face no QB issues going forward.

“We’ve been through a situation, post-Matt Ryan, when we’re seeing that movie when we didn’t have a franchise quarterback. We didn’t want to repeat that again. I mean, I certainly didn’t. I’m super sensitive to all forms of succession planning. After 60-odd years of business, in any business, that’s critical. At the key position, the quarterback position in the NFL, that’s very important,” admitted Blank in a recent presser.  

Penix was a Huskies phenom. He put up 4,903 yards in his last season at the NCAA. He was also a Heisman contender, but that award went to Jayden Daniels. History has proven that a future superstar QB learns the rope in the first few years and serves as a backup. From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. From Drew Bledsoe to Tom Brady. From Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes. The pattern is pretty clear with Penix Jr. and Cousins. However, only time will tell if this will prove to be a situation that is at the right place at the right time.