The Atlanta Falcons took a calculated risk when they signed Kirk Cousins — a 36-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles injury — to a $180 million contract this offseason. General manager Terry Fontenot made it even more perplexing when the team used the No. 8 pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
But after Week 1, the Penix pick was starting to make sense. Cousins simply did not look healthy.
The Falcons struggled offensively throughout the season-opening loss to the Steelers. Cousins, in particular, wasn’t effective. The Falcons ran no play-action plays, and Cousins oddly was not taking snaps under center. It raised questions about where his recovery actually was at coming off Achilles surgery. And game footage made matters more alarming as Cousins didn’t plant or push off that right foot in his throws.
every Kirk Cousins dropback end zone view
what do you notice pic.twitter.com/RllUesBU7F
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 9, 2024
Yet, when asked about how he felt, Cousins told reporters on Thursday that his Achilles is totally fine and that he doesn’t feel limited in his ability to push off that foot.
Kirk Cousins: “The Achilles feels good. I feel like I can move and push as I normally would.”
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 12, 2024
If that were the case, why didn’t he show that on Sunday? He was stationary — even in the face of poor pass protection. But when he did get a clean pocket, his passes were not getting any power from that right foot. The mechanics were clearly off, and it’s just natural to assume the Achilles injury was the root of that problem.
We’ll have to see if Monday’s performance against Eagles offers any reason for optimism. Cousins can insist that Achilles is fine all he wants, but the game film paints an awfully different picture.
