Kirk Cousins' words may have cost the Falcons another draft pick

Kirk Cousins' arrival to Atlanta was not a positive one. The veteran quarterback took to the podium in his first press conference and openly detailed how the Falcons contacted him before the legal tampering window opened.

The admission culminated in a $250k team fine, $50k fine for GM Terry Fontenot, and the loss of a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially after the contract aged like milk.

Unfortunately, things might have just gotten worse as, yet again, Cousins couldn't keep from disclosing sensitive information. The 14-game starter discussed an initially reported elbow and shoulder injury in Week 11 and admitted it affected him the rest of the season.

The issue is that the Falcons only included him on the injury report for a week and then his name was never included again. The NFL has strict policies prohibiting any manipulation of injury reports and Cousins' admission may persuade the NFL to take another draft pick.

Official NFL rules suggest a significant punishment is coming for the Falcons

Anyone who watched Kirk Cousins after Week 10 can agree something was wrong. His short stint on the injury report explained his poor play but his lowest moments weren't accompanied with a spot on the important report.

Not only do teams have to list any new injury, but they have to proactively monitor all lingering injuries that "affects the player's performance," per the league's injury report policy. It specifically states "The club is not entitled to unilaterally determine which of the player's reportable injuries might preclude his participation or affect his performance on game day."

In simple terms, a team has to report any injury that will hurt a player's performance on game day.

Tell me how you can argue that Kirk Cousins' elbow and shoulder injury didn't affect his play for more than just one week. He didn't earn a benching for no reason; he was benched for his nosedive after Week 10

To make matters worse, the league specifically states that quarterbacks and key players are held to stricter standards, especially when it comes to injuries to critical parts of the body -- like the right elbow and shoulder of a right-handed quarterback.

The veteran's lack of a filter when talking to the media is a problem. He already exposed one violation when he arrived, and now he might depart by doing the same thing.

The NFL usually hands down fines when these rules are broken. We saw that when the Falcons were fined for not disclosing Bijan Robinson's headache against the Buccaneers a couple of years ago. The league fining them for not reporting a headache the day of a game that he played in should have us worried about what is to come with Kirk Cousins.

Draft picks may be involved in another Falcons punishment

The policy mentions that violations can be subject to "possible forfeiture of draft choices by the involved club." Normally, this isn't something to worry about but based on the significance, there is a chance the league puts the hammer down.

Opposing teams have the right to know the other team's injuries. Knowing a quarterback can't drive the ball due to an injury can completely change defensive schemes. That information was withheld, whether it was intentional or not.

Then you have to think about the sports gambling industry; how many bets would have changed if the public had a better idea of Cousins' health? Without a doubt, many people lost money because of the lack of reporting.

The good news is that the team initially reported the injury, but things don't look good from there.

Many have argued that Cousins may have been the one to hide the injury. It is certainly possible and that would protect the Falcons from punishment. However, even if he denied it, the film doesn't lie. If that is the truth then the Falcons didn't push for the truth enough.

All this to say, Cousins' words may have cost the Atlanta Falcons and it puts another nail in his Atlanta coffin.