New video footage shows the epic reaction of Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles upon hearing that the Atlanta Falcons were taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The biggest shock of the 2024 NFL Draft was unquestionably the Michael Penix Jr. pick. For starters, the Falcons had just signed four-time Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins in free agency to a four-year deal worth $180 million ($100 million guaranteed).
Secondly, Penix Jr. wasn’t even expected to be a top-10 pick. In fact, many scouts and analysts had a second-round grade on Penix Jr. So it was absolutely stunning to see Penix Jr. go that early to a team with a quarterback in place.
The Bears posted a behind-the-scenes video of Poles in the draft room awaiting his turn to pick at No. 9. As you can tell by his reaction to the move, the fourth-year GM was completely stunned by the Michael Penix Jr. pick:
With the No. 9 pick, Chicago drafted Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. That capped off a potential franchise-changing day for the Bears, who also used the first overall pick of 2024 (via the Carolina Panthers) on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
To his credit, Cousins has handled the entire Penix Jr. saga well, having stated that there’s no good in having hard feelings over the Falcons’ decision to draft his planned successor.
Michael Penix Jr. Will Have To Wait Patiently For His Turn
As anxious as many fans are to watch Penix Jr. at the NFL level, it’s important to stress patience here in his development. The Falcons are in win-now mode and didn’t hand Cousins $100 million guaranteed to give up his starting duties within a couple of years.
Penix Jr. was always going to be a project and not a day one starter. For his development, there is no issue in learning behind a veteran Pro Bowler before he takes over the reins.
Also Read: Wild Rumor Surfaces Linking QB Kirk Cousins To The Dallas Cowboys
