Fantasy football production is not necessarily indicative of team success, but more often than not, if players are putting up big fantasy numbers, they're at least having solid success as offense. So, when FTN Fantasy's Daniel Kelly labels Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins as a potential bust in 2024, that raises eyebrows, especially when he's guaranteed $100 million over the course of a four-year contract.
Big flashing I AM NOT A DOCTOR sign here, but… We’ve been talking about the Achilles recoveries for Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers all offseason like they’re more or less the same thing, but the differences are, to me, stark. First, Rodgers’ injury came two months earlier. Second, Rodgers is coming back to a team he had at least some familiarity with, while Cousins is starting over. And the biggest one for me (admittedly also the inspiration for the I AM NOT A DOCTOR intro) … Rodgers’ torn Achilles was in his left heel, while Cousins’ was in his right (plant) foot. I cannot imagine recovery from that is much harder than recovering from a left foot tear. In shorter time. In a new environment.
Cousins' Achilles injury will continue to be a talking point until the Falcons kick off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8th. Alongside proving that Atlanta's bet on Cousins' first eight games of 2023 was the correct bet, Cousins has to prove that he is fully recovered from this injury that could potentially be a major hindrance to his production and the overall success of the offense in 2024.