4 reasons Kirk Cousins shouldn't be mad at the Falcons for drafting Michael Penix Jr.

With so many rumors about Kirk Cousins being mad at the Atlanta Falcons for drafting Michael Penix Jr., here are some reasons why he shouldn't be angry.
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Tost by Tostitos / Jesse Grant/GettyImages
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The Atlanta Falcons have put themselves in the same position as the 2020 Green Bay Packers—you have a veteran quarterback who is reportedly angry after the team decided to invest significant resources into a player who is going to replace you in the future.

Kirk Cousins was blindsided when the Falcons called him to inform him they were going to draft Michael Penix Jr.

That news would be blindsiding for anyone but when you look at the full picture, he shouldn't be too angry at the decision. Here are a few reasons why.

1. Kirk Cousins will receive at least $90 million from the Falcons

Most of us will never know what it is like to see seven digits in our bank account, let alone, the number of digits that top NFL quarterbacks receive.

When you combine Cousins' signing bonus and his 2024 and 2025 salaries, he is going to see a total of $90 million paid to him. The Falcons aren't going to cut him before then so he will see that money.

It is worth noting that while he might have $100 million guaranteed, NFL contracts are truly "guaranteed." Teams can still release you before it becomes guaranteed so you aren't entitled to anything.

Nevertheless, I think any of us would take $90 million even if it meant our future as a starter wasn't truly secured. While it isn't totally fair to compare the average situation to that of an NFL player, I think the cliché phrase 'he has 90 million reasons to not be angry' is applicable here.