Players that have spent more than a decade in the NFL are bound to have some kind of lore, especially if they've spent the majority of their career as a starting quarterback.
The Falcons got just that in Kirk Cousins, who arrived in Atlanta this past offseason after spending six years apiece with the Vikings and Commanders. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury eight weeks into his final campaign with Minnesota last October and signed with the Falcons four months later, bringing his veteran presence and experience under center with him.
From his famous postgame "You like that!" quip in Washington to his neck full of chains in Minnesota, the quarterback has accumulated his fair share of iconic moments throughout his 13-year career. The latter led to Cousins being dubbed "Kirko Chainz" as his jewelry-wearing alter-ego.
Here's everything to know about the story behind Cousins chains, including how the Falcons quarterback got his famed nickname.
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Kirk Cousins chain, explained
The saga involving Cousins and his luxurious jewelry began after the Vikings beat the Saints in an early October 2022 matchup. The game took place in London, giving the team ample time to celebrate the win on the way back to Minnesota. Naturally, Cousins ended up wearing tackle Christian Darrisaw's diamond-encrusted chain during the plane ride home.
Kirk would be appalled to learn how much this chain cost pic.twitter.com/TuJgdDYUqI
— liliceberg (@liliceberg1of1) October 4, 2022
That game was the second in what became a seven-game winning streak, during whcih Cousins donned Darrisaw's necklaces several times. His biggest celebration came after taking down his former team in Washington.
Cousins spearheaded a 10-point fourth quarter comeback to facilitate the 20-17 win, so he had to top his previous celebrations. Shortly after the game, he was live-streamed on the team plane home decked out in chains again, this time bare-chested.
Kirk Cousins is currently the coolest QB in the NFL pic.twitter.com/QtmTJUpDLB
— Phoenix (@dalvincookin) November 6, 2022
The team was already gaining attention with its winning streak. But as soon as Cousins took off his shirt on that flight, he went even more viral. In appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show" and Peyton and Eli Manning's "Manningcast," Cousins revealed the nicknames he had heard since the win over Washington.
"I’ve heard Kirko Chainz, I’ve heard Kirk Thuggins," Cousins told McAfee about nicknames he has been given.
"This week, [teammates were] like, 'How do we top this?'" he added while speaking with the Manning brothers. "And I’m sitting there like, ‘I don’t really think there is a way to top it.’ And they go, ‘Take your shirt off.’ So the next thing you know, I’ve got my shirt off. I’ve got (edge rusher Za’Darius Smith’s) watch on my wrist and they’re telling me all the dance moves I need to move to do with my hands.”
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Kirk Cousins stats 2024
There was clear improvement from Cousins between his first two games under center with Atlanta. His quarterback rating nearly doubled in the Week 2 comeback win against the Eagles, and he increased his passing yards, completion percentage and touchdown total with no interceptions in the contest.
Cousins has the Falcons at 1-1 through their second game of the 2024 season. Here's a look at how the quarterback has performed since coming off a season-ending Achilles injury.
| GP | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | SACK |
| 3 | 36 | 55 | 65.5 | 396 | 7.2 | 3 | 2 | 41 | 3 |
