This offseason, the Atlanta Falcons signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. While Cousins has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL over the past few years, this decision did come with some risk. For one, Cousins is now 36-years-old, and he's coming off a torn Achilles suffered in October.
Prior to Atlanta's Week 2 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cousins told ESPN's Troy Aikman that he's "not 100%, but feels that he's 100% in the pocket," as relayed on the "Monday Night Football" broadcast.
Cousins looked particularly stiff during his Falcons debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. In the 18-10 loss, he completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while being sacked twice.
Cousins told reporters afterwards that his Achilles felt "good," and that was not a reason for the season-opening loss.
"I feel good. The Achilles feels good," Cousins said Thursday. "I feel like I can move and push as I normally would."
The Falcons didn't bring Cousins in to be Michael Vick, but some level of spryness is required for play-action calls and rolling out of the pocket. How much longer will it take for Cousins to feel 100% when not in the pocket?
This admission will also have fans wondering again about the Falcons' decision to utilize the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. just a month after making a considerable financial investment in a quarterback.