Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced on Thursday that quarterback Kirk Cousins has been medically cleared from the Achilles tear he sustained last season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Despite the clearance, the Falcons plan to be cautious with Cousins and other players returning from injury, as noted by Schefter. The team will implement “modified reps” for these players to ensure a careful return to full activity.
Morris also mentioned that Cousins will not participate in any preseason games, as reported by Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
“There was no limitations,” Morris stated regarding Cousins’ participation in team drills following Thursday’s practice, as relayed by Adnan Ikic of the Falcoholic. “I think it was pretty much helpful from how we go about (the) business of not keeping people away from him.”
Morris further explained, “Some of his limitations are coming out of individual drills around movement. Making sure we don’t wear him out to the point where we want to get all the team reps with him. He’s fired up, the team is fired up.”
Cousins, who suffered the injury in Week 8 of the 2023 season while with the Minnesota Vikings, was having a strong season before the injury, accumulating 2,331 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in just eight games.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason, with $100 million guaranteed, making him the ninth-highest-paid quarterback in the league, according to Over The Cap.
Since Matt Ryan’s departure after the 2021 season, the Falcons have struggled to find consistent quarterback play. The team has not ranked in the top 20 for passing yards per game over the past two years, with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder failing to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a single season.
In addition to acquiring Cousins, the Falcons made headlines by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft. Despite the addition of Penix, Morris has stated that Cousins remains the starting quarterback for the 2024 season.
