Speculation is rampant due to a viral video of Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot having what appears to be a heated conversation with team owner Arthur Blank after the GM announced that the team was picking Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
The Penix pick was a surprise for many because the Falcons have gone to pains over the last few months to insist that current quarterback Kirk Cousins is their no. 1, and the team had only just signed him in March to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed.
For instance, an article on the team website insists, “The Falcons believe they found what they were looking for in Cousins during free agency, and they’ll look for another multiplier heading into the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday.”
But despite all that, Fontenot picked Penix as one of the early picks.
With this in mind, many saw a silent video of Fontenot and Blank having a heated discussion at the NFL Draft as evidence that Fontenot was being called on the carpet for the Penix pick.
This very much looks like Terry Fontenot trying to explain himself #Falcons #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1vl7CgIrfV
— Cody Chaffins (@CodyChaffins) April 26, 2024
Many thought Fontenot looked like he was trying to convince Blank that picking Penix as a move for the future was a smart one.
Fans were all over the video, according to the New York Post.
“Read the body language of everyone in that room… yikes. lol,” one fan wrote.
Another said, “This very much looks like Terry Fontenot trying to explain himself.”
Yet another joked, “Pretty sure [former Patriots head coach and GM] Bill Belichick would not have taken a quarterback there.”
The paper added that Cousins may have been blindsided by the pick, as well.
The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, for one, said he asked Cousins’ agent about the Penix pick and said, “I just reached out to his agent… Kirk Cousins was not really given a heads up on this whole thing.”
Granted, Cousins is coming off an injury, and even though team sources say he is now 100 percent, it’s possible Fontenot is hedging his bets that Cousins is fit and ready.
Only time will tell.
The 2024 NFL season will kick off on Sept. 5 for its 105th season.
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