Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins ​​Debuts in CBS Quarterback Rankings

The Atlanta Falcons targeted quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​in free agency for a reason. His arrival in Atlanta should make the Falcons the favorite in the NFC South this season.

Based on his quarterback rankings, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports shares this expectation.

Benjamin ranked Cousins ​​outside the top 10 on his quarterback rankings list. However, at No. 14, Cousins ​​became the first NFC South signal-caller on Benjamin’s list.

“Under pressure to complete his big free agent contract after the Falcons’ surprise first-round pick of Michael Penix Jr.” Benjamin wrote. “Cousins ​​adds much-needed reliability to an up-and-coming Atlanta team. At 36 years old and an Achilles tear, he still projects as a stable game-action rifle.

Cousins ​​was sandwiched between Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions at No. 13 and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 15.

The next closest NFC South signal caller was Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 20. Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints and Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers were ranked No. 26 and 31, respectively.

Cousins ​​has played very well in the first half of 2023. Based on his performance, he probably deserves consideration in the top 10 quarterbacks.

The Falcons podcast: Watch | Spotify | Apple pods

But Cousins ​​missed the second half of last season because of a torn Achilles tendon. For this reason, it is probably rightfully ranked 14th.

Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets missed almost the entire 2023 season and came in at No. 11 on Benjamin’s list.

Offseason quarterback lists, however, are very subjective. This year in particular, there is probably very little consensus.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs was an easy choice for No. 1 on Benjamin’s list. But some will likely disagree with the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy coming in right after Mahomes at No. 2.

Reigning two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is not a top 5 quarterback according to Benjamin. Jackson came in at #6.

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans were ahead of Jackson in the top 5.

The cousins ​​went 4-4 as a starter last season with 18 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He averaged 7.5 yards per attempt and also completed 69.5% of his passes.