Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins says he felt “a little bit misled” by the team’s decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in 2024, only weeks after signing him to a lucrative free-agency deal. The comments appear in the second season of the Netflix documentary series “Quarterback,” which premiered on 8 July. Cousins, 36, joined Atlanta last March on a four-year contract that guarantees at least $100 million. He told the series that, had he known the Falcons planned to take a quarterback in the top 10, he “had no reason to leave Minnesota,” where he had spent six seasons. The Vikings subsequently drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick, while Atlanta’s move was widely viewed as an unexpected hedge on the veteran passer. The veteran started nine games for the Falcons before a shoulder injury and a late-season benching in favour of Penix. Atlanta kept Cousins on the roster this off-season, paying a $10 million bonus in March, and is expected to open training camp with Penix as the projected starter and Cousins as an experienced insurance option.