Fans of the Atlanta Falcons entered 2024 training camp with a mix of excitement and worry for prized free agent signee Kirk Cousins.
The excited energy involves Atlanta handing $180 million to the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback to lead the franchise. But skepticism still rose as Cousins is recovering from a torn Achilles. However, on Thursday, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris shared a promising update involving the new QB1.
Is Kirk Cousins a Full Go for Training Camp?
According to Morris, Cousins is good to go. He told reporters that Cousins is medically cleared to practice and handle QB duties during training camp.
Morris, however, elaborated that there are still some precautionary measures Atlanta is taking with him during camp.
LIVE: Coach Morris speaks to the media at AT&T Training Camp! https://t.co/PWUwBqOjWt
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 25, 2024
“Obviously, some of his limitations will come in our individual drills, some of our movement — making sure we don’t wear him out to the point that we want to get all the team reps with him,” Morris said.
But even with Cousins likely to be on the football version of a pitch count, Morris has noticed an energized QB as he makes his comeback from a truncated 2023 season.
“So, he’s fired up. The team’s fired up,” Morris said. “The limitations for him, you won’t notice either. Those will just be our own modifications that we do, just being smart.”
Looking Back at Cousins’ Shortened 2023
From 2015 to 2022, Cousins rarely missed a significant number of games. The fewest starts he made during that span was 15 in 2019 — which was still one of his Pro Bowl campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings.
But his health took a significant turn last season during Week 8 at Lambeau Field.
At the 10:25 mark of the fourth quarter, Cousins tried to escape an oncoming rush. He admitted he didn’t think his ankle was too bad “because I get stepped on all the time.” But then Cousins realized he had to force himself to hop toward the sidelines.
The #Vikings were on a run and starting to play their best football of the season heading into Green Bay Week 8.
And with 10:25 left in the 4th quarter, the course of the season changed.
📺: https://t.co/JVkMJtqdNB pic.twitter.com/ctgEGqRTed
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 22, 2024
The Vikings managed to hold off the Packers, but the season became lost for the veteran Pro Bowler, and it also went down the drain for Minnesota.
Without Cousins in the lineup, Minnesota finished the season 3-6 down the stretch, which included closing out the season on a four-game losing streak to finish 7-10. But for Cousins, it marked the first time since 2014 that he couldn’t start in more than 10 games.
Should Fantasy Managers Be Concerned?
Now, Cousins is attempting to make his comeback from the horrific Achilles ankle injury. But he’s also fighting with Father Time, as he will turn 36 in August. Does his situation make him undraftable among fantasy football managers?
Pro Football Network’s Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate weighed in. Tate indicated that Cousins’ fresh slate of health actually benefits two other Falcons players in fantasy.
“Fantasy managers who are hoping for a breakout season from Drake London and Kyle Pitts got some good news today after Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins was medically cleared for training camp on Thursday,” Tate said.
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Tate also reminded us that Cousins was putting together a stellar season until the injury occurred. Cousins even drew more fantasy points than two Super Bowl QBs and last season’s top-impact rookie.
“Cousins was in the midst of an outstanding fantasy campaign through the first eight games of the 2023 NFL season with 2,331 passing yards and 18 touchdowns prior to suffering a season-ending Achilles tear against the Green Bay Packers. This production made him the QB7 overall on a fantasy-points-per-game basis at 19.4 — which was a higher mark than Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and C.J. Stroud,” Tate said.
Now, with Cousins cleared to practice, he’s got a tremendous opportunity to ignite a struggling Falcons offense while also securing the confidence of fantasy managers planning to roll with him this season.
“Cousins enters an Atlanta offense that ranked 26th in scoring and 22nd in passing with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke under center in 2023.
“Cousins’ intimate knowledge of new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s scheme — who spent last year with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay — could help this offense loaded with playmakers reach its true potential in 2024,” Tate said.