Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins endured a tough stretch of play this previous fall coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in October 2023 earlier than he misplaced his beginning job to 2024 first-round draft choose Michael Penix Jr. in December.
Whereas the Falcons reportedly will set Cousins free in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the brand new league 12 months opens on March 12, it seems some inside the group consider the veteran who will flip 37 years outdated in August may have a bounce-back season with a special membership later this 12 months.
“One Atlanta supply mentioned Cousins wasn’t completely proper after injuring his Achilles in 2023 when taking part in with the Vikings,” NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY reported for a bit revealed Monday. “He was by no means a very cell quarterback. He grew to become even much less post-injury. Cousins additionally used to rely closely on his base for arm energy. That, too, wasn’t the identical. The idea is a few of that mobility and a variety of that arm energy will come again this season with Cousins one other 12 months faraway from the Achilles.”
Cousins helped the Falcons finish the primary weekend of November with a file of 6-3 earlier than elbow and shoulder issues precipitated him to have considerably of a “dead” arm. Atlanta subsequently misplaced 4 straight video games earlier than the membership improved to 7-7, and head coach Raheem Morris turned to Penix for what grew to become the group’s last three video games of the marketing campaign.
Per Pro Football Reference, Cousins ended the season ranked twenty eighth with a 50.4 adjusted QBR and twenty third with an 88.6 passer ranking. He and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed Week 18 with a league-worst 16 interceptions, however Cousins solely performed in 14 video games.
Cousins hasn’t hidden that he felt betrayed that the Falcons drafted Penix shortly after Atlanta signed the previous Minnesota QB1 to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M assured. That is noteworthy contemplating tales have linked Cousins with groups such because the New York Giants, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.
All or any of these golf equipment may spend a first- or second-round alternative on a signal-caller within the upcoming player-selection course of. It is unclear how Cousins would really feel about getting into yet one more season with a rookie proper beneath him on the depth chart.
