After going 7-10, with the 26th-ranked offense behind quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinecke in 2023, the Atlanta Falcons made a significant addition to their scoring attack. Signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract was supposed to help take a Falcons team that just missed the playoffs and catapult them into the postseason.
While the Falcons’ offense has improved to 19th in the league, they have a 6-6 record, Yet that’s still good enough for first place in the NFC South. Still, there’s a sense that the Falcons are underachieving and many believe Cousins is a big reason why.
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NFL analysts believe Kirk Cousins’ arm ‘isn’t the same’
Coming off a torn Achilles, Kirk Cousins was always expected to have a long road back to the NFL, but leading the league with 13 interceptions was unexpected. Of course, last week’s four-interception performance didn’t help, but some NFL analysts think there are serious long-term concerns with the Falcons QB.
“He still doesn’t look right,” said one scout who has seen Cousins play this season. “There’s no juice on his throws. Everything is coming from his arm. He’s not pushing off normally.”
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Said NFL analyst Brian Baldinger: “The arm isn’t the same arm anymore. The ball is dying on him.”
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Cousins could still be recovering from his Achilles surgery, either physically or even mentally. While one wouldn’t think his leg would impact his arm, quarterbacks get their strength from their lower bodies, and if Cousins isn’t confident in his throwing base, it only makes sense that his arm would be impacted too.