My thoughts on Kirk Cousins signing with the Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons traded away Matt Ryan to the Colts two years ago and have struggled mightily with consistency and stability at the quarterback position ever since then. Enter Kirk Cousins, who is basically a younger version of Matt Ryan at this point. He’s solid, albeit not spectacular, and he’s a huge upgrade over Desmond Ridder.

I’m not exactly keen on the idea of signing a 35 year-old quarterback to a four-year deal that includes massive guaranteed money, but at least the deal is front-loaded. What I am a big fan of though is the team pushing all of their chips in on the table. Too often over the years the Falcons have shied away from making the big move to put them in contention, but this move signifies that the franchise is in it to win it.

What Cousins brings to the table

Kirk Cousins brings consistency and stability to a team that desperately needs it. Cousins is who he is at this point in his career, which is a slightly above average quarterback who (last year notwithstanding) stays healthy throughout the season. Those two factors are important when discussing the veteran, as there are many teams that struggle with performance and injuries at the quarterback position.

His outstanding accuracy stands out as a true hallmark of his game, as his career completion percentage of 66.9% ranks fourth in the league amongst active starters. Production and longevity are two more staples of the Kirk Cousins experience, as he’s posted 4,000+ passing yards in a season seven times in his twelve-year career. An average season for the passer involves 4,000+ passing yards & 27+ touchdowns. That will certainly play in today’s NFL where solid quarterback play is paramount.

Limitations of the veteran QB

Cousins is the last of a dying breed as a pure pocket passer with limited mobility. Add in the fact that he recently tore his Achilles back in October, and it’s easy to see that he will need a solid offensive line & weapons to work with in order to succeed. Luckily for him, the Falcons feature an above average offensive line and a stable of skill position talent that includes Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to Kirk Cousins though, and that is his lackluster ability (or lack thereof) to win in primetime and in the playoffs. He has a career record of 1-4 in the playoffs and an 11-19 mark in primetime games. Fortunately for him, the Falcons don’t even know what a primetime game looks like. All jokes aside, our new quarterback will need to prove himself in the playoffs in order for the signing to be viewed by the franchise & fans as being a successful one.

The final analysis

I think that the Falcons did the best that they could do given their situation, which was that they had money to spend but not a great draft pick to grab a top rookie QB. I’m certainly not saying that Cousins was a consolation prize, as he was clearly the top quarterback on the open market, & he offers more as a passer than Justin Fields. The signing definitely moves the needle, but the question then is by just how much?

Cousins gives the team a chance to play meaningful football games in December, which is really all that any of us can ask for as we embark on an pivotal 2024 season. It’s been seven long years since the Falcons last made the playoffs, but Cousins gives the team an opportunity to change that narrative in a wide open NFC South division.