Photo Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Kirk Cousins’ first season with the Atlanta Falcons took an unexpected turn, and the veteran quarterback has now provided insight into what went wrong after a strong start. Speaking on Good Morning Football Tuesday, Cousins revealed that he sustained injuries to his right shoulder and elbow during the Falcons’ Week 10 game against the New Orleans Saints. Despite previously maintaining that he was healthy, he admitted that the injury affected his play.
“I, against the Saints, got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow and from there kind of dealing with that was something I was working through and just never really could get it to where I wanted it,” Cousins said.
Falcons’ Struggles After Hot Start
The Falcons lost that game against New Orleans, beginning a four-game losing streak that dropped them from 6-3 to 6-7. Cousins struggled during this stretch, throwing nine interceptions and just one touchdown over five games. By Week 16, Atlanta benched him in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins was briefly listed as “limited” on the injury report in Week 11 due to his right shoulder and elbow, ahead of the Falcons’ road game against the Denver Broncos. However, that day’s practice was only a walk-through, and the team downplayed the issue. Cousins later described the injury report listing as a “clerical error,” insisting he was fully healthy.
The quarterback had also been recovering from a torn right Achilles suffered in Week 8 of the 2023 season. While his Achilles healed, he said his right ankle never felt quite right in 2024.
“Even if the right ankle wasn’t perfect, nobody’s perfect in this league,” Cousins said. “We’re never feeling 100%. So, it didn’t really affect me too much.”
Atlanta finished the season with just two more wins after its 6-3 start, ultimately missing the playoffs. The franchise has not posted a winning record or made the postseason since 2017.
Uncertain Future in Atlanta
Cousins’ future with the Falcons remains uncertain, as the team appears committed to Penix. General manager Terry Fontenot recently stated that the Falcons are “very comfortable” with Cousins as the backup in 2025.
The quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta last offseason, including $90 million guaranteed. Cutting Cousins before the 2025 league year begins on March 12 would result in a $65 million dead money charge, per the Roster Management System. With a post-June 1 designation, that cap hit could be spread over two seasons—$40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026.
A trade is another possibility, though Cousins has a no-trade clause. If he agrees to a move, the Falcons would absorb $37.5 million in dead money while his new team would take on his fully guaranteed $27.5 million base salary. Atlanta might also need to cover part of that salary to facilitate a deal.
Additionally, Cousins has a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in December that the Falcons were likely to cut him before that bonus takes effect, though Fontenot later denied those claims. His recent comments suggest Atlanta could try to trade Cousins instead.
Focusing on Recovery
For now, Cousins says his focus is on getting healthy.
“I’m no good to the Falcons, I’m no good to a team if I’m not feeling really good,” Cousins said. “And so that’s really where my focus has been through January and February. Now that the season has wound down I’m really taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good.”
Cousins acknowledged that his future is uncertain but expects more clarity by March.
“I definitely still feel like I have a lot of good football left in me,” he said.
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This report used information from ESPN.
