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The Atlanta Falcons gave Kirk Cousins a sizable contract this offseason, and even with their selection of Michael Penix Jr. in the NFL Draft, will rely on the veteran signal caller come this fall.
Cousins is returning from a torn Achilles, but his rehab has gone as scheduled thus far. On Thursday, the Falcons shared footage of the four-time Pro Bowler throwing during voluntary workouts.
The pass was thrown against air, and the clip is in slow-mo, but it’s encouraging nonetheless to see Cousins out there already.
Kirk 👀 pic.twitter.com/HG4psnNSKF
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 2, 2024
Cousins was reportedly “shocked” and “disappointed” over the Falcons taking Penix with the No. 8 overall pick last Thursday, but the 35-year-old signal caller still reached out to the incoming rookie following the draft.
“Yes, he did reach out,” Penix told reporters. “We had a very good conversation. He reached out last night. I’m going to keep it between me and him right now, but it was definitely a good conversation. I’m super excited to work with him. He said he’s the same with me.”
Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta’s veteran Pro Bowl offensive guard, also had high praise for Cousins this week.
“It feels like he’s been here for years, in terms of interactions with guys,” Lindstrom said, via ProFootballTalk. “You hear stories about just how great of a professional he is and that reputation carries across the league. But then when you get here and watch the way the guy works, it’s remarkable.
“The way he interacts with us has been great. Can’t ask for anything more. You just see the way he approaches every single day — the intensity behind every single rep and the purpose behind it, it’s really cool.”
Atlanta is coming off three consecutive 7-10 seasons and has not made the playoffs since 2017, so the organization is counting on Cousins helping them get over the hump.