In order to realize these dreams, Cousins must first prove he’s moved past the Achilles injury that ended his 2023 season — and tenure with the Vikings — prematurely. He’s still not close to 100 percent, but Cousins maintains the same optimistic outlook he carried into his introductory news conference with the Falcons in March.
“Hard to say a percentage,” Cousins said. “The big things is, I could take drops, the minute I would be like in the pocket and someone would come at me and I would kind of have to move and run, then you’d see that, OK, he’s still coming back. So, like 7-on-7, I’m good, but to be in a live drill and running bootlegs, that’s where I wouldn’t be able to do it yet. I’m hoping June I could get there, but obviously we have some runway now before September.”
Returning from an Achilles injury — especially as a quarterback who is closer to 40 than 25 — is no small feat, but Cousins still has ample time. He’ll continue down the same path he’s followed for some time, which includes rehabbing daily, and trust the process will lead him to his end goal.
Then, Cousins will be able to pursue his goals in a new uniform — and hopefully, his final NFL home.