The Atlanta Falcons solved their problem at quarterback by signing Kirk Cousins in free agency last month, and general manager Terry Fontenot is thrilled to have him aboard.
When asked about Cousins this week, Fontenot raved about Cousins’ study habits.
“He’s like a nerd up there,” Fontenot said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “He’s obsessed with it.”
The Falcons signed Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million deal that features $100 million in guaranteed money. The contract has drawn some criticism, as Cousins will be 36 years old at the start of next season and is coming off of a torn Achilles.
But after Atlanta spent 2023 shuffling back and forth behind Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, an aging Cousins is still a huge upgrade.
“The excitement about Kirk Cousins is that he’s a multiplier on and off the field,” Fontenot said Tuesday, via the team’s official website. “We know that, so when he gets in the building and in the training room … he truly is (that with) the work that he does.”
Cousins was on pace for an MVP-caliber campaign with the Minnesota Vikings this past year, as he had thrown for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 69.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 103.8 through eight games before going down with the injury.
The Michigan State product was originally selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and spent the first six years of his career in Washington before signing with the Vikings in March 2018. He then spent six seasons in Minnesota before joining the Falcons.
Cousins has made four trips to the Pro Bowl, and Fontenot is confident that the signal-caller will be just fine in 2024.
“We know that (Cousins is) going to take advantage of anything he can do to get himself ready to go in and peak condition,” Fontenot said.
We’ll see if Kirk Cousins is able to deliver next season.
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