The sports world is filled with all sorts of fascinating what-if scenarios.
An interesting one involving the Seattle Seahawks emerged with the premier of the Netflix series “Quarterback” on Tuesday.
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During one of the episodes, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins said he felt “a little bit misled” after the Atlanta Falcons drafted former UW Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Just one month prior to drafting Penix, the Falcons had signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal that included $100 million in guaranteed money. Cousins said he might have re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason if he’d known the Falcons intended to draft a quarterback in the first round.
Penix started the final three games for Atlanta as a rookie last year and is the presumptive starter heading into this season.
Had Cousins stayed in Minnesota, would Sam Darnold still have signed with the Vikings last offseason? Would Darnold still have experienced a breakout 2024 campaign? And ultimately, would Darnold still have landed a three-year, $100 million deal with the Seahawks in March?
As Brock Huard and Mike Salk discussed Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, the Seahawks’ QB situation likely would’ve been much different right now if Cousins had re-signed with the Vikings.
“I think it had a profound effect on your 2025 Seahawks,” Salk said. “Because if that happens, what does Sam Darnold do last year? … Maybe he gets an opportunity to start somewhere else. But regardless, either he doesn’t play much as a backup, or he doesn’t have (offensive guru) Kevin O’Connell and (star wide receiver) Justin Jefferson and some of the things that really helped him last year in Minnesota.
“If that’s the case and he’s not an obvious replacement for (former Seahawks QB) Geno Smith, … are we talking Aaron Rodgers? Are we talking Justin Fields? Are we talking none of the above?”
Huard thinks that would’ve made the 41-year-old Rodgers a serious possibility for Seattle. Huard also thinks the Seahawks would’ve drafted a quarterback like Jaxson Dart or Tyler Shough earlier in the 2025 draft, rather than taking dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe in the third round.
“I think you (would’ve) prioritized the draft,” Huard said. “And I think they really liked Tyler Shough. And in the second round when Tyler Shough was available, would they have gone up and gotten (him)? They could’ve done that. Jaxson Dart would’ve been in that realm as well. Maybe they make that move. … So I think that (quarterback) would’ve been a little more of an obvious priority and more of a need.”
Salk marveled at how different that alternate universe could’ve been.
“What a totally different world we’d be living in right now, getting ready for the Tyler Shough era to start,” Salk said.
Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player near the bottom of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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