The Atlanta Falcons might have the most interesting quarterback room in the NFL. Five years from now, analysts and historians might speak about how the team had two starting-quality quarterbacks in the same room. Of course, that is a rare turn of events in the NFL. However, to get there, Kirk Cousins will need to perform well this season.
Here’s a look at three predictions for Cousins’ 2024 season.
Kirk Cousins will not start all 17 games
The Falcons quarterback will have more than a decent year. Armed with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and now the second-highest-paid cornerback in NFL history in AJ Terrell, the Falcons will go places in 2024. By Week 18, due to how the year shook out, Cousins won’t need to play in the final game of the year.
As such, Falcons fans will get an early glimpse of Michael Penix Jr. in a somewhat relaxing de facto exhibition game. The result might matter for their opponent and fans, but it won’t have a bearing on how things will go in the playoffs.
In other words, picture the Week 18 Patrick Mahomes debut at the end of the Alex Smith era.
Kirk Cousins wins playoff game in debut season with Falcons
Of course, this was somewhat spoiled in the last point, but Cousins will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Not only that, but Cousins will win his first playoff game since 2019, doubling his post-season win total.
The win extends his leash with the Falcons and puts Michael Penix Jr. on the back burner, almost like Jimmy Garoppolo was able to do with Trey Lance in San Francisco.
Kirk Cousins will have better touchdown-interception ratio than Patrick Mahomes did in 2023
Mahomes may have won the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year, but his regular season statistics were objectively the lowest of his career. Mahomes threw for 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season. Cousins’ most hardcore fans might think those numbers are familiar.
That’s because Cousins threw for 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2022. Before his injury last year, Cousins had 18 touchdowns and five interceptions, posting a ratio that towers over Mahomes. Once again, Cousins will beat out Mahomes in this category. That said, Mahomes will have the final laugh in how far he gets in the playoffs once again, but Kirk Cousins will have this bragging right.
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