Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back when commenting on the Atlanta Falcons’ first-round draft pick on Friday morning, particularly addressing Kirk Cousins and his reported dissatisfaction with the team’s decision to select Michael Penix Jr. without prior notification.
In Smith’s view, Cousins should simply accept his substantial paycheck and refrain from complaining, given that the Falcons recently awarded him a whopping $100 million in guaranteed money as part of his four-year, $180 million contract signed just last month.
“You got $100 million. Shut the hell up! His agent talking,” Stephen A. bluntly stated during ‘First Take’. “What are we talking about here? He got a $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed fresh off of an Achilles injury.”
Smith didn’t stop there; he also criticized Cousins’ on-field performance compared to his lucrative earnings throughout his NFL career.
“We ain’t seen you. We assume you’re going to be alright,” he remarked, alluding to the quarterback’s Achilles injury. “We heard you’re going to be alright. But we don’t know. Here’s what we do know. You are absolutely exceptional and the quintessential role model when it comes to getting your bag for minimal production.”
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While acknowledging Cousins’ ability to rack up impressive stats in the regular season and affirming that he’s “no scrub,” Smith underscored the fact that Cousins has only secured one playoff win in his career. He dismissed any notion that Cousins should feel entitled to sympathy because he wasn’t consulted about the team’s draft decision.
“I’m watching last night and this morning, everybody acting like we’re a heartbeat away from calling Dr. Phil or Dear Abby about how he wasn’t consulted before they made the pick,” Smith asserted. “Stop it. This is ridiculous.”
