The Green Bay Packers' quarterback model: Often imitated, never duplicated.
Kirk Cousins must wonder what on earth has happened. In the immediate aftermath of signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins thought he had found a team to build his long-term future. Little did he know, the Falcons would draft Michael Penix Jr. a month later, and now, after just 14 games, they are making the transition.
While Cousins watches his former team, led by Sam Darnold, march into the playoffs with a 12-2 record, he is now headed for the bench in Atlanta. Whether the Falcons keep him, trade him, or even release him, there's no way to avoid taking on a significant cap hit. They've created a huge mess.
The Falcons had little choice, as Cousins has thrown one touchdown pass with nine interceptions over the past five weeks, almost ending Atlanta's playoff hopes.
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So, how does this relate to the Packers, you may ask? Well, quite a lot, actually.
Packers fans should be thankful for Brian Gutekunst's smart long-term planning
No matter what Pat McAfee says, Brian Gutekunst is one of the smartest general managers in the NFL. He took heat from Packers fans and the national media after trading up for Jordan Love, especially when Aaron Rodgers produced back-to-back MVP seasons immediately after it.
Nobody is laughing now. Rodgers leads a four-win and playoff-less New York Jets, while the Packers are on track for consecutive playoff appearances with Love. Gutekunst got it right.
In the same way the Love pick would forever define Gutekunst's legacy in Green Bay, the Cousins signing and Penix selection will do the same for Terry Fontenot in Atlanta. He may save his job if Penix becomes a star, but the Cousins signing couldn't look any worse.
Fontenot and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris actually compared the Penix pick to the Packers drafting Love, referring to "the Green Bay model."
The difference? What Atlanta attempted wasn't anything like the Packers' model.
When the Packers drafted Love, they knew it would take at least a couple of years before he would be ready to start. In his rookie season, they kept Tim Boyle as the backup quarterback to protect Love from having to play in the event of an Aaron Rodgers injury. It was a long-term plan. Love was a developmental prospect with All-Pro upside, but not in Year 1.
Love was 21 years old when the Packers drafted him. They could sit him for a few years and let him take the reins at 24. Penix is already 24 years old. If the Falcons followed the Packers' path, he wouldn't become a starter until he was 27. It never made any sense.
Rodgers had already built a Hall of Fame resume and had started 12 seasons in Green Bay. At age 36 and having not put together an MVP campaign in five years, the Packers smartly began preparing for the future. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and you can't sustain success without one. The Packers were OK with sacrificing a top draft pick, even if it hurt them slightly in the short term.
It's a different story for Cousins. The Falcons had just signed him to a mega deal. Green Bay looked to the future as Rodgers appeared, at the time, to be heading out of his prime. Atlanta believed Cousins could take them to a Super Bowl.
Penix may have been the long-term answer, but they are already starting him.
The Green Bay model required some luck. Rodgers falling to No. 24 overall meant a Hall of Fame quarterback fell into their laps. Love dropping to No. 26 gave them another opportunity. But unlike other teams, the Packers envisioned the future and were brave enough to draft them, sit them, and show patience.
The Falcons attempted to follow "the Green Bay model," but all they've done is make the Packers look even better.