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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Urben

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins makes NFL Top 100 Players of 2024

In 2023, Kirk Cousins was playing some of the best football of his career before suffering a midseason Achilles tear. This devastating injury ended Cousins’ six-year run with the Minnesota Vikings as he signed with the Atlanta Falcons over the offseason.

The veteran QB was one of the NFL’s biggest free-agent dominoes, landing in Atlanta with a $180 million contract. The team deserves credit for addressing its top roster need but expectations have been raised significantly. The Falcons need to go out and win the NFC South this season and Cousins needs to play well for that to happen.

On Monday night, Cousins became the second Falcons player to make the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2024 countdown. After offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom landed at No. 88, Cousins came in at No. 81:

In a year that saw seven starting quarterbacks sustain season-ending injuries, Cousins appeared in eight games before suffering a torn Achilles. The veteran QB finished his final season in Minnesota with 18 touchdowns, 2,331 passing yards and five interceptions before signing a whopping four-year deal with the Falcons as a free agent this offseason. With a new head coach and offensive coordinator behind him (and a rookie QB waiting in the wings), all eyes will be on Cousins this year. — Krissy Hetherington, NFL.com

The top 100 players countdown is currently airing on NFL+ but will replay on NFL Network starting on July 31. Cousins and Lindstrom weren’t exactly surprises, however, we’d expect to see at least one more Falcon on the list. Safety Jessie Bates had a monster season and will likely be the third player included in the top 100.

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