Falcons QB Kirk Cousins cleared to practice after torn Achilles

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has been medically cleared to practice in training camp, coach Raheem Morris said Thursday.

Cousins' 2023 season ended when he tore his right Achilles playing for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. He was able to practice with few limitations during spring OTAs and minicamp. There was a question of whether Cousins would be able to practice in training camp, with the potential of players being near him and around his legs.

But Morris said the Falcons would be "comfortable" with that at this stage. Cousins will take the vast majority of the first-team snaps in camp, though there will still be minor restrictions. Atlanta's first practice is scheduled for Thursday morning.

"The limitations for [Cousins], you won't notice," Morris said.

Cousins said he feels much more athletic and has much less pain than he did six weeks ago. He said he's confident that he'll be able to plant and push off with his back foot in live action, which he didn't feel certain about previously. The next step for him, Cousins said, is simply playing. The Falcons did mostly a jog-through ramp up Thursday rather than a full practice.

"That's really how I'm gonna rehab this thing to the finish line," Cousins said.

He'll have to wait to get those reps against opposing teams, though. Cousins said Morris has already told him he will not be playing in any of the Falcons' three preseason games.

Cousins said Morris told him: "That's just not how we're going to do things," and Cousins is accepting that even if it isn't his preference. "I want to play, but I think those asks fell on deaf ears," Cousins said.

Cousins' original goal was to be ready by Aug. 1, so he's a bit ahead of schedule. He had never attempted to come back from a major surgery before and made a "power rankings" of all the people who came back from a torn Achilles in the past, names that included former vice president Al Gore and actress Judi Dench.

"I feel like there was a lot to work through," Cousins said. "It's now in the rear-view mirror and that's a good feeling."

Atlanta signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. He filled the team's biggest need: quarterback. The Falcons struggled at the position last season with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, leading to team owner Arthur Blank dubbing Atlanta's quarterback performance as "deficient."

Cousins, 35, threw for more than 4,000 yards and 29 or more touchdowns in the three full seasons before the injury. He was leading the NFL in touchdown passes (18) when he went down in October.

The Falcons also drafted a quarterback with the No. 8 pick in the April draft: Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. That was a major first-round surprise considering the signing of Cousins. Morris said Thursday that Penix will split second-team reps with Heinicke during training camp, like he did in OTAs and minicamp.