Troy Aikman says Kirk Cousins told him he’s not 100% after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon
Cousins struggled last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers and now admits where he stands with his career-altering injury.
One of the biggest news stories of the NFL’s offseason was Kirk Cousin leaving behind the Minnesota Vikings for a four-year deal worth $180 million ($100 million guaranteed, with a no-trade clause) with the Atlanta Falcons.
The real kicker about Cousins heading south to play in Atlanta was that he was still recovering from a torn Achilles injury that occurred in Week 8 last season. Doubts flew throughout the sports world about whether he would be ready to go in Week 1 of 2024.
Atlanta fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 18-10, last week. Cousins only threw for 19 passing yards in the second half, the lowest second-half total yardage of his career. Cousins reportedly said it was more about rust than the injury he sustained last year.
However, after much speculation, Cousins now states that he is indeed not 100 percent following last year’s surgery. He dropped his guard a bit on the subject and revealed more to Troy Aikman, who delivered the tidbit during “Monday Night Football.”
“I know in talking to Kirk (Cousins), he says he’s not 100%, but yet he feels that he’s 100% in the pocket,” Aikman mentioned during the broadcast of Monday’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.
Cousins has been the subject of much discussion all week regarding his response to being back on the field after a very detrimental injury. NBC Sports’ Chris Simms mentioned last week that Cousin’s “movements were concerning” against the Steelers in Week 1.
A lot of that is being echoed Monday night as videos are hitting social media, with many pointing out that Cousins isn’t driving with that right foot when he makes a move in the pocket.
Ask any professional athlete, and they’ll tell you that bouncing back from an Achilles injury is no easy task. There’s a long road to recovery ahead and a monkey to get off your back after you return from that kind of injury, and, sometimes, the goal of returning to play again is never fully obtained.
If Cousins continues to show more obvious signs that he’s not up to par, the Falcons very well could look at their 2024 first-round draft pick, Michael Penix Jr., as someone who could step in while Cousins gets his footing. That the Falcons drafted a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft turned many heads across the league, but the move might not be so puzzling if it turns out they’ll need a quarterback to spell Cousins.
The University of Washington quarterback made headlines during draft night because the Falcons selected him not long after signing Cousins to his massive contract. There are many strong opinions about the quarterback situation in Atlanta, especially now that Cousins is not 100 percent.
The Falcons and Eagles are currently playing on “Monday Night Football” on ESPN. Falcons fans hope that despite a slow-ish start, Cousins can adapt to some new avenues that will hopefully lead the team to victory.
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