Kirk Cousins came to the Atlanta Falcons with a lucrative new contract, hoping to revitalize the franchise. However, things did not go according to plan, on several fronts, for the quarterback.
Cousins was already recuperating from an Achilles injury and was dealt a shock in the 2024 NFL Draft as the Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr with the No. 8 overall pick. Cousins feels he has nailed down the exact moment things started to sour in Atlanta.
Kirk Cousins’ Dream Start With the Falcons Gets Hampered
Despite drafting a young quarterback, Cousins remained the starter for the franchise heading into the 2024 season. Things were going their way for the first few weeks of the campaign. Until the Week 10 game against their divisional rivals, the New Orleans Saints.
Cousins appeared on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” and revealed the reasons behind the four-game losing streak. “We were 6-3, playing well, but then against the Saints got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow and just never could get it to where I wanted it,” he said.
Kirk Cousins admitted for the first time today on Good Morning Football that he took a hit during the #Falcons Week 10 game against the Saints and hurt his right shoulder and elbow. That game was the start of Atlanta's four-game losing streak.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) February 4, 2025
The Falcons waited until Week 16 to bench Cousins. They ended the season with an 8-9 record, second in the NFC South, but they did not qualify for the playoffs.
Cousins registered 3,508 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 games in 2024. However, he also recorded career highs in interceptions (16) and fumbles (7).
Cousins Opens Up on His Future in Atlanta
Last month, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot shocked the world, suggesting Cousins could be replaced by Penix as the starter going forward. During his GMFB appearance, the 36-year-old Cousins highlighted his intentions.
“I definitely feel like I have a lot of good football left in me,” he said. “Time will tell. It’s still kind of uncertain. We’ll get to March and know a lot more. But I think the focus for me really is getting healthy. That’s really my focus is I gotta get healthy.”
“I’m no good to the Falcons, I’m no good to a team if I’m not feeling really good. That’s really where my focus has been through January and February now that the season has wound down, really taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good.”