Whereas the Atlanta Falcons improved to 7-7 on the season by way of an unpleasant 15-9 win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) on Monday evening, few had been stunned when Falcons head coach Raheem Morris confirmed on Tuesday that he was turning to rookie signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. amid Cousins’ ongoing struggles.
ESPN’s Ben Solak has famous that Cousins “lacks any springiness,” cannot “reset the pocket, lengthen performs or discover throws off-platform,” and has struggled “to get to handoff landmarks” since struggling a torn Achilles in October 2023.
Per Kyle Koster of Sports activities Illustrated, former NFL participant and interim head coach Jeff Saturday stated throughout Wednesday’s version of the ESPN “Get Up” program that he would not suppose he is ever “seen a participant fall off a cliff” fairly like Cousins.
Afterward Wednesday, Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio revealed why Cousins has just lately seemed like an previous participant fairly than just like the participant of previous.
“As one supply put it, Cousins’ arm is presently useless. That’s believed to be a results of his incapability to make use of his decrease physique to muster full energy on his throws,” Florio wrote. “It stands to motive that, after 14 video games of compensating for safeguarding his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon, he’s out of fuel.”
Cousins tossed eight interceptions and 0 landing passes over 4 consecutive losses earlier than he accomplished 11-of-17 cross makes an attempt for 112 yards with a rating and a choose in opposition to the Raiders. Based on Professional Soccer Reference, he started Wednesday ranked twenty second within the NFL amongst certified gamers with a 52.7 adjusted QBR and twenty first with an 88.6 passer ranking on the marketing campaign. He has additionally thrown a league-worst 16 interceptions.
Such numbers may lead one to imagine the 36-year-old is “washed” and previous his prime. If, nevertheless, Florio is true and Cousins is simply “out of fuel,” it is not a stretch to imagine some workforce would take a flier on his providers in the course of the upcoming offseason and no less than give him an opportunity to win the beginning job for the 2025 marketing campaign.
Though the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M assured again in March, it turned clear virtually instantly after they made Penix the eighth choose of the 2024 draft that they might escape the veteran’s deal after only one season. Such a divorce now appears inevitable, however it stays to be seen if Cousins can persuade a special membership that he wants an offseason that will not embody recovering from a severe damage to relocate his greatest type.
