The Atlanta Falcons have become a trendy pick in the NFC after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, but Cousins says the conference still runs through the San Francisco 49ers.
During an interview at The Masters alongside of 49ers tight end George Kittle, Cousins told Laura Rutledge of ESPN that San Francisco remains the favorite to get back to the Super Bowl.
“Everybody’s kind of looking up at the Niners right now in the NFC,” Cousins said. “So, if we’re gonna go anywhere we’ve got to get through [Kittle.]”
Cousins signed a massive four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last month that features $100 million in guaranteed money.
Atlanta went 7-10 this past season shuffling between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke under center, so Cousins is certainly a massive upgrade.
Of course, Cousins comes with his fair share of question marks.
He will be 36 years old at the start of next season, and he is coming off of a torn Achilles, one of the worst injuries an athlete can suffer.
Obviously, the Falcons are banking on Cousins being 100 percent in 2024, and if he plays anything like he did in the first half of 2023, Atlanta will be in great shape.
In eight games before getting injured this past year, Cousins threw 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.
The Michigan State product spent the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, making three trips to the Pro Bowl and totaling 30 or more passing touchdowns three times during that span. He also almost certainly would have hit 30 this past year had he not gotten injured.
But Cousins is right: the Niners are still clearly the team to beat in the NFC, and it will take more than just superb play from Kirk Cousins for the Falcons to top them.
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