Kirk Cousins did not look like himself during the Atlanta Falcons‘ season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 36-year-old quarterback was back on the field for the first time since tearing his achilles during Week 8 of 2023.
His health is a concern, even though the team insists it is not.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta during the offseason. 55% of the money is guaranteed. The Falcons also drafted Michael Penix Jr., a 24-year-old rookie, with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It may not be long before the veteran gets the hook in favor of the latter if things continue to trend in the wrong direction like they did on Sunday.
Atlanta gained a total of 226 yards. Kirk Cousins completed only 16 of his 26 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. He had just 19 yards through the air during the entire second half.
When asked about his quarterback’s health on Monday, head coach Raheem Morris did not voice any concerns.
I feel like Kirk is healthy. He’s been healthy since he’s been here.
— Raheem Morris
Cousins did not play at all during the preseason but did not have any notable limitations during training camp. His achilles was considered to be at or very close to 100% after a seven-month recovery period.
Video from the weekend seems to contradict that understanding.
every Kirk Cousins dropback end zone view
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 9, 2024
what do you notice pic.twitter.com/RllUesBU7F
There are a few takeaways from the end zone view.
- Atlanta isn’t running under center.
- His drop back steps are minimal.
- He doesn’t seem to trust his right foot to plant.
- The lack of firm plant prevents him from driving the ball.
- He threw to his first read on nearly every single play.
It seems like Cousins was scared to get hit and didn’t trust his repaired achilles. Maybe it was a mental block. Maybe it was a physical restriction.
Either way, Kirk Cousins didn’t look like Kirk Cousins and there is legitimate cause for concern.