Michigan State Legend Opens Up on NFL Struggles

This wasn't how things were supposed to go for Kirk Cousins when he signed a $180-million megadeal with the Atlanta Falcons in NFL free agency.

Cousins was supposed to elevate the Falcons and establish them as dark horse Super Bowl contenders in the NFC, but now, it's looking like Atlanta might not even make the playoffs.

The Michigan State Spartans legend has gone without a touchdown over his last four games while throwing eight interceptions during that span as the Falcons have lost four games in a row.

That came after Cousins posted back-to-back brilliant games in Weeks 8 and 9 when he totaled seven touchdowns and no picks.

But now, with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings, some are wondering if Atlanta will bench Cousins and roll with the youngster.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris has maintained that he will stick with Cousins, and when asked recently about his struggles, Cousins took a mature, positive approach — just like he always does.

"When you're playing well, you usually aren't as good as people are telling you," Cousins told reporters. "When you're in a rut, you're usually not as bad as people who are leaving you for dead. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle. You just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles."

That's definitely a great approach, and it's entirely possible that Cousins will break out of this rut.

After all, the four-time Pro Bowler has had performances this season where he has looked very much like the elite quarterback we saw during his final season with the Minnesota Vikings last year.

Of course, Cousins tore his Achilles halfway through 2023, and given that he is now 36 years old, one has to wonder if Father Time is catching up to the veteran.

The good news is that it appears Atlanta is willing to ride it out with Cousins. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given the financial investment that the Falcons made in the signal-caller (Cousins' contract contains $100 million in guaranteed money), but it's still a soothing thought.

Atlanta is also just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South and owns the tiebreaker, so there is still certainly time for Cousins and the Falcons to turn things around.

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