Awkward footage shows Falcons GM Terry Fontenot explaining why he selected Michael Penix Jr. to owner Arthur Blank

The 2024 NFL Draft was ticking along nicely.

Then all hell broke loose when the Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL world by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.

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The stunning decision comes just weeks after Atlanta signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million in free agency.

Penix Jr. was viewed as a top prospect but few, if any, thought he'd go in the top ten.

Most draft experts expected the Falcons to select a defensive player like Dallas Turner.

Instead, they chose a QB with a selection that basically came out of nowhere.

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It's fair to say GM Terry Fontenot made an incredibly bold move - one that he apparently needs to explain.

Viral footage showed Fontenot awkwardly talking to team owner Arthur Blank as he seemingly tried to explain his rationale behind the Penix Jr. selection.

"bros fighting for his life," said one fan.

"Yeah there’s no explaining that one," added another.

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"Would like to be a fly on the wall there," wrote a third.

"Trying to explain to the boss why they gave Cousins all that money to just draft a QB 6 weeks later," a fourth commented.

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The 35-year-old Cousins is coming off an Achilles injury but recently signed a lucrative deal with the Falcons.

Penix, who turns 24 next month, will presumably sit behind Cousins for the next couple of years with a view to becoming his successor.

But it means he'll be close to 28 when Cousins' four-year deal runs out.

Fans couldn't get their heads around Atlanta's decision to draft Penix Jr. after just tying down Cousins.

"Atlanta Falcons easily the most likely franchise to simply forget they signed a quarterback in the offseason," joked one fan.

"THE FALCONS TOOK PENIX?!? Did they not just go out and sign Kirk Cousins??? What is happening??" added another.

Penix Jr. spent four seasons at Indiana before a two-year run with Washington propelled the Huskies to the College Football Playoff championship against Michigan.

Last season, the lefty was one of the best QBs in the sport and guided Washington to a 14-1 record.

However, he dealt with ACL and shoulder injuries early in college.

Then he flourished at Washington, winning the Maxwell Award as the nation's top player and being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, while leading the top division with 4,903 passing yards.

Penix totaled 13,741 passing yards and 96 touchdowns in college while playing in 49 games.

"If you told me that in the rookie season Michael Penix would be as good as anybody in this draft class, just off pure ability and his ability to throw the football, I wouldn’t be shocked by that because he can really, really deliver the ball," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah exclusively told talkSPORT.

Fontenot's decision is certainly a brave one, but one not without precedent.

His decision to draft running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 pick last year was widely criticized.

The selection of tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick in 2021 also drew controversy.

We'll see if his latest move pays off but the pressure is undoubtedly on.

After the dust had settled on his selection, Fontenot provided some insight into his thought-process around Penix Jr.

“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” the Falcons GM .

“We’re very excited about Kirk. We’re very excited about this team. Michael Penix is . . . we’re talking about the future. You look at the future. You look at the big picture. We are very excited about that quarterback room, and again, Kirk is our quarterback.

"But adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”

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“We’re very excited about where Kirk is,” Fontenot added.

“We feel very confident in him and everything he’s going to do for us. Again, we’re thinking more long-term with this. We’re very, very excited about Kirk. That has not changed. This is thinking about the future.”