All RSS feed content is owned by the respective 3rd party website.
Alex B. from X/Twitter
I know you saw the Kirk Cousins’ interview @tori_mcelhaney i remember you tweeting about Kirk being on the injury report after that game. Can you share any more insight into his comments? confused about the whole thing
Tori: I was very hesitant to address Cousins’ comments on Good Morning Football for a couple of reasons, mainly out of fear that any comments I made would be taken out of context or put me in hot water as a team reporter. However, because of the volume of questions I was getting about the situation and the somewhat personal jabs I was taking on social media, I thought the best way to respond to this would be with the facts of the matter.
So, here is the timeline (as I have come to know it) with the information I have.
- Nov. 13: Cousins shows up on the injury report with a right shoulder, right elbow injury. The Falcons did not hold a full practice that day, just a walkthrough, so Cousins’ status as a limited participant was an estimate.
- Nov. 14-15: Cousins was listed as a full participant in both practices. He did not receive a game designation for the following game against the Denver Broncos.
- Nov. 16: The Falcons lose to the Broncos. After the game, Cousins is asked about showing up on the injury report and his status.
“Yeah. I’m good. I’m good,” Cousins said in response. “Was a bit of a clerical error, because we had walkthrough. So, when you walk through they really don’t know what you could have done or couldn’t have done if we had a full-speed practice. So, I would not have been on the report because I would have done everything.”
Asked specifically is he was “100%,” Cousins said yes.
- Dec. 1: The Falcons lose to the Chargers. After the game, Cousins is asked to describe how he feels physically at this point in the season.
“I feel pretty good,” Cousins said. “I think today coming off the bye week I felt really good. I would love to tell you that I’m fighting through something, but that’s not the case. I think I felt as good today as I have all season.”
- Dec. 17: The Falcons announce that the team will move forward with Michael Penix Jr. as the team’s starting quarterback.
- Dec. 18: Raheem Morris is asked about the decision to move forward with Penix as the starter and whether or not it had anything to do with injury concerns with Cousins.
“No,” Morris said, “it was just a football decision.”
That same day, Cousins addressed the media about the decision. He, too, was asked whether any injury factored into the decision.
“No,” Cousins said. “Going back to the turnovers, I think that’s more probably decision-making than anything. That wouldn’t have anything to do with any physical limitations, so I wouldn’t say so.”
“I think the Achilles healed well. I think there was little bit of just trying to get my right ankle back around the Achilles. But the Achilles itself healed really well. And even then, we were 6-3, was playing well, doing a lot of good things, even if the right ankle wasn’t perfect. Nobody is perfect in this league. We’re never feeling 100%. So, it didn’t really affect me too much,” Cousins said. “But then, against the Saints, I got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow, and from there, kind of dealing with that. It was something that I was working through and just never really could get it to where I wanted it. So, now that the season is 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, I feel like I get a new life ahead of me here in pro football.”
So, that’s the timeline and information as I have it.
Again, I want to reiterate that I am providing this timeline out of transparency to all of you. These are not my thoughts, feelings or opinions on this matter. They are not the thoughts, feelings or opinions of Atlanta Falcons personnel. They are the facts and on-the-record statements as they have transpired since November. All can be looked up and cross-checked from interviews and press conferences, all of which I have linked to the corresponding quote.
