Cousins ‘pretty much full go’ in Falcons’ program

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Quarterback Kirk Cousins is “pretty much full go” in terms of his physical capabilities for this portion of the Atlanta Falcons‘ offseason program, coach Raheem Morris said Friday.

The Falcons are in phase two of their program, which means no contact and working out at less than full speed. In that regard, Morris said, Cousins doesn’t have many limitations. Cousins’ 2023 season, which wound up being his final one with the Minnesota Vikings, ended because of a torn right Achilles tendon in Week 8. Atlanta signed him as a free agent in March.

“Kirk is every day improving,” Morris said at the Falcons’ rookie minicamp. “So, we are kind of right at the point where he’s doing everything that we can do at this point at phase two, right? Which is nobody around him. There’s no contact. He’s all good with all those types of things. So, he’s been doing all those things.”

Morris said the one thing that is being curtailed is the volume of snaps Cousins, 35, is taking, because the quarterback is still rehabilitating the injury.

“We’ll limit what he does as far as the amount, not necessarily what he’s doing when it comes to what we are at and what we’re able to do right now,” Morris said. “It’s not like training camp where I’m worried about people being around his feet, because the pace is so slow and … we feel really good about where he’s at right now.”

Atlanta beings the third phase of its offseason program with OTAs on Tuesday. Cousins led the league in touchdown passes (18) when he went down with the injury, and only two quarterbacks since the beginning of 2020 season have thrown for more TD passes than Cousins: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

The Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft last month, but Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have repeatedly said it had nothing to do with Cousins’ health. The plan is for Cousins to be the team’s quarterback of the present and Penix to be his successor, team brass said.

Penix said Friday he saw Cousins in the morning before the start of rookie minicamp and that the two exchanged pleasantries.

“He said he was happy to see me and have me here, and I just told him I can’t wait to work with him,” Penix said.

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