Flowery Branch, Georgia — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has been medically cleared to practice in training camp, head coach Raheem Morris announced Thursday.
Cousins ruptured his right Achilles in Week 8 last season, terminating his 2023 season. In the spring, OTAs and minicamp allowed him to train with little restrictions. It was unclear whether Cousins would be able to practice throughout training camp, given the possibility of players being near him and around his legs.
However, Morris stated that the Falcons would be “comfortable” with it at this point. Cousins will play the vast majority of first-team snaps in camp, but he will still have modest restrictions. The team’s first session is slated for Thursday morning.
“The limitations for [Cousins], you won’t notice,” Morris told the audience.
Atlanta signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with a $100 million guarantee in the summer. He met the team’s greatest need: quarterback play. The Falcons struggled at the position last year with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, prompting club owner Arthur Blank to describe Atlanta’s performance as “deficient.”
Cousins, 35, had thrown for more than 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in the three seasons before to his injury. When he got down in October, he led the NFL in touchdown passes with 18.
The Falcons also selected a quarterback with the eighth overall choice in the April draft: Michael Penix Jr. from the University of Washington. Given Cousins’ signing, this came as quite a surprise.
Morris confirmed on Thursday that Penix will split second-team work with Heinicke during training camp, as he did in OTAs and minicamp.
