Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been continuously overlooked. Coming out of high school, he was Michigan State's sixth option at quarterback. He was supposed to be trade bait when he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft by the Washington Redskins. And with each opportunity, Cousins has continued to excel. He left Michigan State as the record holder in passing touchdowns (66), passing yards (9,131), completions (723), passing efficiency (146.1 rating) and total offense (9,004 yards). In Washington, he took the Redskins from worst to first in the NFC East in 2015.
He continues to make these definitive statements without making much of a sound despite the loud narratives that surround him. Picture Eminem's "The Way I Am," but filmed in a Ross Dress for Less.
Cousins continues to prove the doubters wrong, and with the recent off-season moves from the Atlanta Falcons, the narratives will only get louder. So, here is yet another opportunity for Cousins to make a definitive statement to the NFL and the Falcons in 2024.
Primetime Kirk is a thing of the past
One of the more tired narratives around Cousins is that he can't play in primetime, especially given his 15-21 record in any game not played on Sunday before 7 p.m. EST.
It's also a narrative that seems a bit overblown. In 26 non-Sunday games, Cousins has a combined passer rating of 95.3 and an Adjusted Net Yards per attempt (ANY/A) of 6.59. That would rank 12th and 10th (right behind Jordan Love), respectively, in 2023.
He has four more opportunities to squash this narrative with four primetime games, including three non-Sunday games:
- Monday, September 16th, 8:15 p.m. EST - @ Philadelphia Eagles
- Sunday, September 22nd, 8:20 p.m. EST - vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Thursday, October 3rd, 8:15 p.m. EST - vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Monday, December 16th, 8:30 p.m. EST - @ Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins deserves a shot at a Super Bowl run
With the selection of Michael Penix, Jr., it felt that Cousins' role had relegated from a bona fide starting quarterback who can make a deep playoff run to a very expensive bridge quarterback in one night.
While the front office may be saying all the right things in the media, making it seem they are building a Super Bowl contender, this team in 2024 looks to be enough to make the playoffs and maybe win a home playoff game. It almost feels like Cousins has to prove that he is worthy of building a true Super Bowl contender around, and even if he does, can Atlanta balance building a contender while building the future for Penix?
These are the type of questions that come with such a complicated quarterback room like Atlanta has built for itself. But with an impressive 2024 campaign, Cousins can make things much clearer. Cousins can open up the Super Bowl window for the Falcons.
