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By James Brizuela
Contributing Writer
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The Atlanta Falcons pulled off one of the biggest free agent acquisitions in 2024 when they signed former Minnesota Viking quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins is one of the best passers in the league and should revive the Falcons offense completely.
More news: Falcons Hit With Severe Punishment for 'Improper Contact' With Kirk Cousins and Others
The issue is Cousins tore his Achilles back in October 2023, which ended his season prematurely. A study done by the Lower Extremity Review states, "Of the 31 players who sustained an Achilles tendon rupture, 21 (64%) returned to play in the NFL at an average of 11 months after injury."
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Essentially, Cousins may have to wait until a couple of months into the 2024 season to see the field. However, the Falcons have received huge news regarding his recovery.
According to Ari Meirov, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has stated that Cousins has been medically cleared and will not start training camp on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list. This is huge news considering the team will need all the reps they can muster to build chemistry on the offense.
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Cousins was having a spectacular 2023 season before the Achilles injury happened. In just eight games, he secured 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
When healthy, Cousins is one of the best passers in the NFL. He now joins an offense that contains wide receivers Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Rondale Moore. Tight end Kyle Pitts will also benefit from having an accurate and deep ball thrower.
That's not to mention running back Bijan Robinson, who emerged as one of the biggest surprises of 2023. He is set to take on a more dual-threat role, and will match up well with Cousins in terms of over-the-middle throws that lead to plenty of yards after the catch.
Cousins being medically cleared now means he can start to cultivate his timing with all the mentioned playmakers immediately. If he had to sit out training camp while recovering, the chemistry between him and the receivers might have been a lot harder to establish.
The Falcons also drafted Michael Penix Jr., who is set to be the backup quarterback. It is highly unlikely Penix will take the starting job from Cousins, but the team now has some safety in knowing that Cousins is going to be ready for training camp and preseason.
Penix might be the quarterback of the future, but he will need some time to sit and learn. He has the opportunity to learn under one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
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