The Atlanta Falcons' decision to bring back Kirk Cousins surprised NFL pundits and media alike, with the veteran being an expected offseason trade or cut option. However, Cousins holds a no-trade clause and is on a contract that made a move incredibly difficult. Keeping the quarterback as expensive insurance behind Michael Penix Jr. is far more logical than opting to pay to have the veteran play for another team.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that head coach Raheem Morris is gassing up his veteran backup early in camp. Morris caught a lot of heat in the 2024 season for his continual defense of Kirk and unwillingness to pivot to the rookie option a bit sooner.
One can easily form an argument that the season plays out far better if Penix is put in the lineup when Cousins first suffered the injury. Regardless, the Falcons will continue to lean on the veteran in a new role as the franchise turns the page to the second-year starter. Still, Morris isn't passing up a chance to praise Cousins and point out the improvement compared to this point last season.
Morris says Kirk Cousins' mobility has "dramatically improved" compared to this time last summer. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 13, 2025
Falcons Head Coach Continues to Build up Former Starting Quarterback Kirk Cousins
Morris noted that Cousins looked "dramatically" better in his ability to move compared to last season, per Falcons insider Marc Raimondi. This doesn't come as a big surprise, as last season, calling the veteran a statue in the pocket would've been generous. It was less than a year since the torn Achilles when Cousins returned, and the rust and lost speed were clear.
Cousins has never been an elite scrambling option, but he moved his feet well in the pocket and knew how to buy time. This took a huge step back last season, and it aided in the Falcons' late-season collapse. With this in mind, it is great news for both Cousins and Atlanta that there has been notable improvement.
If the Falcons are going to trade Cousins at some point this season, it is going to take a dramatic improvement shown either in practice or in limited action. The flip side of this is the fact that Penix does have a concerning college injury history. Having Cousins sitting on the bench as a potential option is a great situation if you're already stuck paying the quarterback.
All of this adds up to Cousins' improvement as a needed report for a player who appeared to be aging out of the league last season. Hopefully for both the Falcons and Cousins, the injury is completely healed, with Kirk now returning to the best version of himself.