Falcons’ Kirk Cousins optimistic about Achilles injury, says ‘if the Super Bowl were today, I’m playing’

If the Super Bowl was being played today and the Atlanta Falcons were playing in the big game, quarterback Kirk Cousins says he would be ready to go, despite still recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered last season. These are a lot of hypotheticals not close to happening right now, but they do give some insight into Cousins’ health status and thought process.

When discussing his progress, Cousins said, “I’m good to go.”

“I’ve told people for a while that if the Super Bowl were today, I’m playing,” Cousins said, via NBC Sports. “And that goes back probably — I think when I first got here, I was working out and we got maybe a week or two into my rehab and I did some drills where I said, ‘Hey, if the Super Bowl were today, I’m playing.’ And they seemed to agree.”

The Super Bowl is 264 days away and the Falcons are not currently a favorite to win it all. They have the 14th-best odds (+2800) to win it all, and the sixth-best odds (+1300) to be conference champions, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Those are not the worst odds, but if Atlanta does reach the Super Bowl, Cousins will not have to worry about being ready for it.

Cousins saying he’d be ready to play in a championship today may sound encouraging, but taking the leap all the way to the Super Bowl suggests he wouldn’t be ready to play in a regular-season game in same time frame. Cousins still has time to get ready for the season, with 110 days until their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Cousins went on to describe the intricacies of his recovery. 

“So, you know, once that tendon gets stabilized and healed and the tissue connects, you really just are trying to work through telling your body that you’re good now, because the brain still wants to guard and protect and it takes some time,” he said, later adding, “Even if were to not heal fully, which I expect to.”

This also suggests Cousins still has some time before he’ll know if he fully heals.

Cousins joined the Falcons this offseason after spending six years with the Minnesota Vikings (2018-2023).

Cousins never advanced to a Super Bowl with the Vikings or his first team, the Washington Commanders. The furthest he’s made it in the postseason with any team is the divisional round. He has played in five postseason games, starting four, with a 1-3 record. In his playoff career, he has 1,047 passing yards with five touchdowns and one interception.

Like Cousins, the Falcons do not have much playoff or Super Bowl experience. The last time the Falcons were in the big game was to conclude the 2016 season, when they famously blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots. Atlanta has not made the playoffs since the 2017 season, and has two Super Bowl appearances — both losses. 

Almost 36 years old, Cousins is expected to be ready to start for the 2024 season, but his age and the severity of his injury do leave questions regarding how his health will hold up next season. The Falcons are banking on him being ready to go, giving him a four-year, $180 million contract, with $100 million guaranteed.

They do, however, have a backup plan. The team surprisingly drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, saying it was to secure talent up the position for the future.