Kirk Cousins ​​and Jessie Bates III Enjoy Watching a Movie Together

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​rarely, if ever, strays from his daily routine. That discipline has helped Cousins ​​become a four-time Pro Bowler and has turned into an advantage for safety Jessie Bates III. It lets Bates know where Cousins ​​is. Specifically, when Cousin is watching film. Because Bates wants to join us as soon as possible.

Bates first asked Cousins ​​to watch film together during the Atlanta Falcons’ offseason program. It was just the two of them, and both sides found it to be a positive experience. So much so that they’ll continue the experiment through training camp, which began Wednesday, and perhaps beyond.

“He’s got a lot of talent to pass on, and he’s willing to do it, too,” Bates said. “That’s the exciting thing about Kirk. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in this league, and that’s not by mistake. I’ve watched how he works day in and day out. It’s just something you try to take pieces of everybody’s game from, and Kirk is someone who’s definitely going to be a great resource for me throughout this year.”

Cousins ​​is entering his 13th NFL season, his 10th as a starter. His resume includes four playoff appearances and the aforementioned Pro Bowl nods.

Bates, meanwhile, is in his seventh season in the league and has been a regular starter. He has appeared in two playoff games and earned his first Pro Bowl nomination last year after recording a career-high six interceptions.

Cousins ​​has already made a name for himself, but Bates is well on his way, too.

“I have to get to know him better,” Cousins ​​said. “There’s still a lot of work to do. But I have a lot of respect for him as a football player, first of all, and his presence. There are guys in this league who are great players but don’t really impact the people around them. I feel like Jessie goes beyond just being a great player. He impacts the entire defense, the entire defense.”

As the saying goes: greatness recognizes greatness.

Bates and Cousins ​​are key communicators who must diagnose information quickly and accurately during games. Knowing how each position operates will help their respective units succeed. Bates enjoys learning what Cousins ​​is thinking as a play unfolds, especially how he processes what’s happening in the defensive backfield. The lessons are reciprocal, though, with Cousins ​​also finding it helpful to solicit Bates’ input. It’s almost like insider knowledge that benefits the entire team.

“We always talked on the field during OTAs,” Bates said. “He’d be like, ‘Hey, Jess, that was a good break.’ Or (I’d be like), ‘Kirk, that was a good break. You looked at me there.’ And then that conversation and that relationship continued to grow.”

Bates had never worked with a quarterback in a 1-on-1 situation like this, and said he didn’t feel comfortable enough early in his career to break that offense-defense barrier. Cousins ​​had done it with defensive backs in the past, but not enough to consider it a norm during his tenure.

“I wish, in my freshman, sophomore and junior years, I could have taken a DB and sat down with him and asked him questions,” Cousins ​​said. “But as a young player, you might not even know what questions to ask. So now, at this point in my career, I know how to get the most out of that meeting. Make no mistake, in my senior years, I’m going to do those things and maximize those opportunities.”

Neither of them really has anything to lose. They only have something to gain.

If anything, that’s exactly what Falcons head coach Raheem Morris likes to see, and he didn’t even have to get involved.

“When you talk about Jessie Bates and Kirk Cousins, you’re talking about high-level basketball,” Morris said. “Any time you get a chance to be a fly on the wall and be around those guys — how they talk and how they move — it’s always interesting.”

“And that’s exactly what you want. You want that player-driven environment, that player-friendly environment, that family environment. You want to be able to cultivate those things.”