Kirk Cousins recently appeared on Good Morning Football, where he was slated to discuss the Super Bowl matchup and answer questions about his future as a quarterback. During the interview, Cousins had another slip of the tongue, revealing that he had injured his throwing shoulder and elbow in Atlanta’s Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
That loss to the Saints marked the beginning of a four-game losing streak, allowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to climb back into playoff contention. Atlanta entered the game at 6-3, leading the NFC South. By the time Cousins played his final game as a starter, the team had fallen to 7-7 and dropped to second place in the division.
Cousins was listed on an "estimated" injury report on Wednesday, November 13, ahead of Atlanta’s Week 11 matchup against Denver, where he was designated as limited due to a right shoulder and right elbow injury. However, by Thursday and Friday, he was a full participant in practice and carried no injury designation for the game. That was the last time he appeared on an injury report for the remainder of the season, as Atlanta ultimately benched him for Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16.
The Saints game was Week 10, the first of 4 losses. Kirk Cousins was on the Week 11 injury report with right shoulder/elbow listed, ultimately limited Wednesday but full Thursday-Friday with no game designation. He didn’t appear on an injury report again. QB switch was Week 16. https://t.co/k1kF6hUm9a
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) February 4, 2025
The revelation of Cousins' midseason injury raises serious questions about what could have been if Atlanta had sidelined him earlier. The timing of this disclosure is also intriguing, as both Cousins and Atlanta could benefit from a potential trade of the veteran quarterback. Could this be a calculated move to boost his trade value? More importantly, who downplayed the injury—the coaching staff or Cousins himself?
This wouldn’t be the first instance of questionable injury management by the Falcons. Raheem Morris and his staff faced criticism when kicker Younghoe Koo was placed on injured reserve. Koo had been struggling throughout the season and was listed on the injury report with a right hip injury before eventually landing on IR after Week 15. Atlanta never clarified the severity of his injury, allowing him to continue playing despite his struggles.
With lingering concerns over injury management, Raheem Morris and his staff will have plenty of questions to answer. Morris may begin the 2025 season on a hotter seat than initially expected.