Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Lifts Michigan State in NFL.com's Trio Rankings

While Kirk Cousins is no longer the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, he’s relevant enough to still help Michigan State rank No. 10 on NFL.com’s list of mythical top college trios - the combination of quarterback, running back, and wide receiver currently in the NFL. 

Gennaro Filice has been busily filling the gaping chasm between OTAs and training camp, and by compiling a rundown of his Top 10 triplets by college affiliation, he gets the conversation going at the very least

Cousins joins Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III and Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed to just crack the ranking. 

“Had I assembled this list last July, MSU's Kirk Cousins-led trio would have ranked much higher,” Filice wrote on NFL.com. “At this time one offseason ago, the quarterback had just signed a four-year, $180 million contract, having made the Pro Bowl in three of the previous five seasons.

“But, oh, what a difference a year makes. Cousins struggled in his debut campaign with the Falcons, displaying seriously limited mobility on his surgically repaired Achilles before ultimately losing the starting job to rookie Michael Penix Jr.”

Father Time does indeed remain undefeated, and an injury certainly helps accelerate his arrival.  

At least Flice is generous enough to admit that the previous incarnation of Cousins would have propelled the Spartans farther up his list from where they reside in the 10th spot.

Even so, the fact is that Cousins is most certainly yesterday's man in NFL terms, and even a trade elsewhere might not elevate Cousins’s status, considering what we saw to end last season. 

“Could a trade provide passage from this purgatory to the starting lineup of a QB-needy team? Perhaps,” Filice wrote. “But with the 14th-year veteran turning 37 in August, how reasonable is it to expect a return to prime Kirko Chainz?”

It wasn’t surprising that a worthwhile trade for Cousins didn’t materialize in the offseason. However, training camp and possibly the preseason could allow Cousins to prove he’s fully healthy, improve his stock, and tempt a team to make a move before the trade deadline in November.

Until then, it will be tough for Cousins to see the field in 2025, firmly entrenched as Penix’s backup in Atlanta.