FLOWERY BRANCH – Before Terry Fontenot took the job as Falcons general manager in 2021, he received advice from Hall of Fame football executive Bill Polian.
Polian told Fontenot to be prepared for the judgement that would be coming his way, because the jobs that receive the most criticism in the world are president of the United States and general managers of sports teams. Perhaps a tad dramatic on Polian’s part – coaches typically get more heat than GMs, for one thing. Heads of state of other nations besides the U.S. probably might quibble with Polian, also. Somewhere, Arthur Blank is probably raising his hand, too.
Regardless, if Fontenot didn’t understand the gist of Polian’s warning before, he surely does now. Two days after making the most talked about selection in this year’s NFL draft, Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris were still taking questions Saturday afternoon on spending the eighth overall pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with Kirk Cousins and his nine-figure contract already on the roster. They’ve been the target of widespread criticism and ridicule, as well as a modicum of praise. The noise has been consuming.
“I feel like, what’s (Travis) Kelce’s girlfriend’s name?” asked Morris, asking a question that irrefutably certified him as a football coach.
It’s Taylor Swift, he was told.
“I’m Taylor Swift right now, and Terry’s Kelce, I guess,” said the irresistibly upbeat Morris.
At the end of the three-day draft marathon, Fontenot wasn’t quite sure what to make of the comparison.
“He’s getting tired,” he said of his coach. “We should probably wrap this up.”
The moment was light. It was an interlude in a post-draft news conference that made clear that they understand the magnitude and unconventionality of their decision and the widely negative response it has generated. Coming out of their first draft together, it’s a defining moment in Fontenot’s tenure . Morris’ own position as Falcons coach – an opportunity he has waited a long time for – may ride on its success, as well. They stood solidly behind their decision and used the media session as a platform to deliver their talking points on the selection of Penix.
Prior to the start of the free-agency period, Fontenot said, “if you would have told me that we’re going to have Kirk Cousins for right now and Michael Penix for the future, I would have told you it was a pipe dream. If you would have told me that, I would have said, ‘Sign me up for that.’ This is exciting.”
While Fontenot sidestepped questions about when the team pinpointed Penix as their target for the No. 8 pick, it clearly was on the radar going into Thursday night. Fontenot said that the team had done a study of teams that had previously drafted a quarterback in the first round with established quarterbacks in place. One comparison was the Chargers taking Philip Rivers (picked fourth by the Giants and then traded to San Diego for Eli Manning) in 2004 after Drew Brees had been the starter for two seasons. Rivers sat behind Brees for two years before Brees left as a free agent for New Orleans.
Fontenot’s research also reinforced to him that there’s no certainty that future drafts will produce a quarterback with the potential that Penix has who would be available for the Falcons to take at their expected lower slot in the draft order. It made the selection this year more imperative, even with Cousins in place.
On the other hand, Fontenot said he didn’t feel bound to take just any quarterback. Had Penix been taken before the No. 8 pick, Fontenot said Friday, the Falcons wouldn’t have picked a quarterback in the first round. They clearly see him as a special player.
“You can’t guarantee going forward that you’re going to have that opportunity again,” Fontenot said. “That’s what gives you the confidence to do it; it’s because of the conviction and the belief in the building (in Penix).”
Morris acknowledged that having a newly signed free-agent quarterback alongside his eventual successor will create a different dynamic, one that could be awkward or tense. He will rely on upfront and truthful dialogue, he said.
For instance, Morris said, he knows that Cousins will be looking over his shoulder at Penix, “and I’m going to try to mitigate that as much as I can.”
Morris also said, surely not for the last time, “Kirk does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. That is not the case.”
Approachable, likeable and experienced in the NFL, Morris does seem to have the skills to manage a situation that could easily boil over if not handled properly. (Just remember the constant upheaval last year when Desmond Ridder began the year as unquestioned starter, was benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke, returned to the lineup, was benched again and made the starter one last time.)
But it doesn’t mean it will be easy. Speaking Saturday of his conversation on Thursday with Cousins to inform him of the team’s impending selection of Penix, Morris said he was “being empathetic on how he felt at the time and being able to talk to him when I could for a quick moment.”
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, empathy generally isn’t required when someone is happy. A month and a half ago, Cousins raved about the alignment between Blank, Fontenot, Morris and himself – shared vision that he believed necessary to win a Super Bowl. Friday, Cousins may have heard Morris refer to him as “a guy in our short-term future that can go out there and lead us, to get wins, that we’re still very excited about.”
You wouldn’t blame Cousins for getting his ears caught on the “short-term future” part. He is compensated quite well to adapt to this change to his workplace. But he’s entitled to however he’s feeling about becoming the short-term guy, although, as he will be 36 when the season starts, he basically already was anyway. (Penix did say Friday that Cousins reached out to him Thursday night and that they shared a good conversation.)
At least three questions loom. How is this going to work out during Penix’s apprenticeship, when will Penix get his chance and how will he do when he does?
“This is truly our future,” Morris said. “And I don’t want to throw random numbers out there, but we do know Kirk has guaranteed money for three years. That’s what we do know. We know that. And we know we’re going to give him an opportunity to go out there and win for us at the highest level.”
That could be taken to mean that the Falcons plan for Cousins to start for the next three years. It could also be read as, Cousins will be on the roster for three years and will get first crack at the job. Or something in between. And, really, it would be feasible to cut Cousins, whose deal is for four years, after the second year.
The answers will only come in time. And when they do, they will carry judgement, good, bad or otherwise, on Morris and Fontenot.
Or, if you’d prefer, Swift and Kelce.
