Former QBs, analysts rave about Falcons paying Kirk Cousins

Hall of Fame quarterback and current "Monday Night Football" analyst Troy Aikman isn't among those who think the Atlanta Falcons gambled by giving veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed in free agency. 

"I like him a lot as a thrower of the football and (for) his ability to read a defense and get the ball out," Aikman recently told Josh Kendall of The Athletic about Cousins. "I want to see a quarterback drop back, put his foot in the ground and get the ball out. I want to see him reading the defense and knowing where to throw the football. Occasionally, you have to go off schedule and run around, but I don’t want to see that as part of over half the pass plays. I really enjoy watching him play." 

Statistically speaking, Cousins was undeniably the best quarterback to reach the open market earlier this month. While he suffered a torn right Achilles on Oct. 29 and turns 36 years old this coming summer, ESPN stats show he finished this past regular season ranked seventh in the NFL among qualified players with a 63.2 adjusted QBR and third with a 103.8 passer rating. 

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Cousins was leading the league in touchdown passes and was second in passing yards through Week 7 before he went down in Week 8. 

Retired quarterback, former Cowboys coach and current NBC Sports NFL analyst Jason Garrett referred to Cousins as "incredible" during a chat with Kendall. 

"Think about how much better he’s gotten throughout his career, and he played well early in his career, but he’s a different player than he was five, six, seven years ago, and he’ll continue to get better," Garrett added about how Cousins will perform following his offseason move from the Minnesota Vikings to the Falcons. 

Many in the NFL community believe Cousins will prove to be a missing piece for an Atlanta team that ended the 2023 campaign with a record of 7-10. 

As of late Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Falcons at -130 betting odds to claim the NFC South division title for the upcoming season. To compare, DraftKings had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at +300 odds. 

The Buccaneers secured their third consecutive division championship in January. 

Some within the Bucs may scoff at the fact that the Falcons are the flavor of the month regarding NFC South conversations, but such predictions speak to how highly analysts view Cousins despite what fans may think about how much money he's earned as a quarterback who possesses a 1-3 career postseason record.