The Atlanta Falcons are a hot pick to make a gigantic leap this coming NFL season after finishing a disappointing 7-10 in 2023.
After muddling through last season’s campaign with the suboptimal quarterback tandem of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, the Atlanta Falcons swooped in and signed former Minnesota Vikings signal caller Kirk Cousins on the first day of NFL free agency.
It was no secret that the Atlanta Falcons coveted the four-time Pro Bowler. The team pounced on Cousins, signing the 35-year-old to a four-year, $180 million contract that no other NFL team was capable — to willing — to match.
However, the Atlanta Falcons’ zeal for Cousins has landed them in some hot water. The NFL has investigated allegations of tampering, and reportedly the league is set to hand the team a severe punishment that includes the loss of future draft picks as soon as this week.
Cousins Himself Spilled the Beans on Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons signed Cousins with dizzying speed. Reports surfaced of the main contract details two days before new NFL “league year” on March 13. Eyebrows were raised as teams aren’t allowed to have first-person contact with players during a “legal tampering” period that ran from noon on March 11 until until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. (eastern time) on March 13 this year.
It was Cousins himself that brought laser focus to any tampering implications during his introductory press conference with the team on March 13. During his cliche-filled speech, he let slip that there was contact with Atlanta Falcons team staff that apparently occurred on March 12, saying:
“There’s great people here. And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting — calling, yesterday, calling our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R. I’m thinking, we got good people here. And that’s exciting to be a part of.”
A conversation with either the Atlanta Falcons trainer or public relations department before March 13 would be a violation of the NFL tampering rules.
It has also been reported that Cousins was directly involved in recruiting wide receiver Darnell Mooney from the Chicago Bears to the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins himself admitted that Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was actively recruiting him to join the team for weeks. If Pitts’ recruiting occurred with the direction or knowledge of the team, that would count as another tampering violation.
Atlanta Falcons Taking a Risk With Cousins
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Before taking into account and tampering sanctions from the NFL, signing Cousins to a massive deal represents a big gamble for the Atlanta Falcons. The 12-year veteran will turn 36 before the 2024 NFL season begins. He is also coming off a torn Achilles tendon suffered against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 that cost him the second-half of the 2023 campaign.
Cousins had surgery to correct the injury on Nov. 1. He is walking well now, as seen in his appearances at Atlanta Braves and Atlanta United games. However, in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Feb. 8, Cousins said that he had approximately four months remaining to be fully recovered.
The Atlanta Falcons are hoping that Cousins can lead the team to its first Super Bowl the team blew a 28-3 lead in losing 34-28 to the New England Patriots on Feb. 5, 2017. However, Cousins has won just one playoff game in five tries with the Washington Commanders (then Redskins) and Vikings. He was under center for Minnesota’s 26-20 Wild Card win against the New Orleans Saints in 2020, though he went just 19-for-31 with 242 yards passing and one touchdown in the contest. The Vikings were blown out 27-10 by the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round one week later.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
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