Why Kirk Cousins wants to get 'popped' in Falcons debut

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins revealed earlier this year that he had spoken to other athletes who suffered torn Achilles injuries as he worked to recover from the setback he endured in late October of last year. 

It seems one piece of advice he received was to get that first hit during a meaningful game out of the way as early as possible. 

"In a sick way, you do (want) to get popped," Cousins said Wednesday about making his Falcons debut when Atlanta hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming Sunday afternoon, as shared by Terrin Waack of the Falcons' website. "I'll probably tell the first guy that hits me, 'Thank you,' within reason. It's good to get that taste of blood in your mouth a little bit."

Cousins could've been on track to insert himself into regular-season Most Valuable Player Award conversations last fall, as the Minnesota Vikings began the campaign at 1-4 before he guided the club to what became three consecutive victories. However, the 36-year-old went down with his season-ending injury in Minnesota's Week 8 win over the Green Bay Packers. 

That proved to be the beginning of the end of his Vikings tenure. Cousins signed a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed to join Atlanta in March but then watched as the Falcons shockingly made signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. the eighth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25. 

Individuals within the Falcons such as team owner Arthur Blank insisted throughout the spring and summer that "Cousins is our franchise quarterback," but whispers about Penix taking over could arise if Atlanta goes through a losing skid at any point between the Steelers showdown and Week 18. 

"We're going to be in some battles this year – together, all of us," Cousins added during his comments. "We really haven't been yet, so there's that newness to it where you say, 'Hey, we know it's coming, but it hasn't happened yet. We have to be ready for when it does. Stick together. Rely on each other. And make sure we get better from it.'"

Adding big names such as Cousins, pass-rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons made the Falcons media darlings and the betting favorites to claim the NFC South division title for the upcoming season. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Atlanta as a 3.5-point favorite for Sunday's matchup against Pittsburgh.