Falcons’ Kirk Cousins makes preseason request that gets shot down by coach Raheem Morris

When the Atlanta Falcons play their first preseason game on Aug. 9, Kirk Cousins would like to be out there, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. 

During an interview this week, the Falcons quarterback was asked whether he expected to play in the preseason this year, and he gave an interesting answer. 

“I want to play, but I think that ask fell on deaf ears,” Cousins said, via Pro Football Talk. 

According to Cousins, Falcons coach Raheem Morris shot down the quarterback’s plan to play during the preseason. 

“Raheem’s motto is, ‘You’re not playing,’ and I don’t know if I’m letting the cat out of the bag or anything, but his approach was, that’s just not how we want to do things,” Cousins said. 

On one hand, it’s easy to see why Morris doesn’t want Cousins playing during the preseason. The 35-year-old, who turns 36 on Aug. 19, is coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered in October and he was only recently fully cleared for all football activities. Morris has already made it clear that he’s going to take extra precaution with Cousins, and for training camp, that means the quarterback will be taking “modified reps.”

Although Cousins has been told he won’t play in the preseason, he’s not giving up on the idea just yet. The Falcons will be holding a joint practice with the Dolphins before the two teams play in the preseason, and Cousins thinks that could lead to him getting some playing time in the game. 

“I’m sure — maybe I can persuade him,” Cousins said of getting preseason playing time. “Maybe there’s a conversation. Who knows how the Dolphins’ practices go? Maybe he wants to see us in the game. There is just so much that could change.”

While Morris is trying to keep Cousins healthy by holding him out, the quarterback believes there’s a benefit to playing in the preseason that his coach might be overlooking. 

“I think seeing live bullets and playing is helpful,” Cousins said. “But I also understand the logic behind not doing it. And everything we do is calculated, and that will be as well.”

The Falcons will open their preseason on Aug. 9 in Miami and that will be followed by a game in Baltimore on Aug. 17. Atlanta will then close out the preseason with a home game against the Jaguars, and Cousins will be hoping to see some playing time in at least one of those three games.