How could the Falcons not know that Kirk Cousins was injured? How on earth is that possible?
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot were asked about Cousins’ comments, with Atlanta’s head coach and general manager saying they were unaware the signal caller was dealing with an injury.
Cousins broke the news on NFL Network that he got hit in the Week 10 contest against the Saints and hurt his throwing shoulder and elbow, which never recovered to the point he wanted. The Falcons did put the quarterback on the injury report the following week, but Cousins referred to that appearance as a clerical error.
“He was on the injury report that one week,” Fontenot said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “When a player is injured, we put him on the injury report and that’s the only time he was on the injury report. So as far as we’re concerned, that’s the only injury we’re aware of.”
Over the next five games, which spanned six weeks because of the Falcons’ bye week, Kirk Cousins had the worst stretch of play across his entire career, even going four games without a touchdown pass to go along with eight interceptions. The veteran was eventually benched ahead of the Falcons’ Week 16 contest in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., but it was due to his play on the field and had nothing to do with an injury.
More than anything, Cousins’ arm didn’t pass the eye test. Every idiot Falcons fan with a beer in their hand on their couch, including the one writing this, could tell something was off with Cousins. He had clearly lost zip on the ball, and even more, Zac Robinson had clearly adjusted his play calling to account for Cousins’ diminished abilities.
But the Falcons know that. There’s no way in hell that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot watched Kirk Cousins every day in practice for more than a month and thought he was fully healthy. Morris and Fontenot are probably lying, and you know what? That’s okay.
It’s okay because the alternative is worse. Either the Falcons actually didn’t know Cousins was hurt, which is a damning indictment on the organization; or they did know but made the calculated decision that a 75% (or so) healthy Cousins gave them a better chance to win than a 100% healthy Michael Penix Jr.
It was, of course, the wrong evaluation, and one that probably cost them a postseason berth, which they would’ve been crucified for had it come to light. So, what do they do? They go with the lesser of two evils. Obviously, they knew he wasn’t 100%.
Perhaps the Falcons didn’t know the extent of the injury, but to act like Kirk Cousins swindled an organization filled with football minds at the highest level is entirely asinine.
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Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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