Falcons QB Kirk Cousins claims ankle, arm injuries impacted 2024

Before his 37th birthday in August, Kirk Cousins said his greatest wish is full health.

"I'm no good to the Falcons, I'm no good to a team if I'm not feeling really good," Cousins told NFL Network on Tuesday. "That's really where my focus has been through January and February now that the season has wound down, really taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good."

In his return from a torn Achilles and debut season with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins said arm injuries were a detriment and led to him being benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. in December.

What's next for Cousins is unclear, even after Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said the team was comfortable absorbing his $40 million cap number in 2025.

Three years remain on the four-year, $180 million deal Cousins signed with Atlanta in March 2024. After he tossed one touchdown and nine interceptions in a five-game spiral that knocked Atlanta out of playoff position, Cousins went to the bench. He said Tuesday recovery from the Achilles went well.

"I think the Achilles healed well. I think there was a little bit of just trying to get my right ankle back around the Achilles, but the Achilles itself healed really well," Cousins said on "Good Morning Football: Overtime."

"Even then, we were 6-3, was playing well, doing a lot of good things, even if the right ankle wasn't perfect. Nobody's perfect in this league. We're never feeling 100 percent. So it didn't really affect me too much, but then against the Saints (in Week 10), I got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow. From there, kind of dealing with that, it was something I was working through. Just never could get it really to where I wanted it. Now that the season's over, you have the time and the energy to say, OK, let's get the right ankle back, let's get the shoulder back, let's get the elbow back.

"And if we can do that, feel like I got a new life ahead of me in pro football."

A move with a post-June 1 designation, or a trade before training camp, would make a reset more feasible for both sides. The Falcons would save $12.5 million, but given his age and rapid regression, his trade market is expected to be cool to frigid.

--Field Level Media