How Kirk Cousins’ 2006 mentality still helping him as Falcons starter in 2025
Kirk Cousins continues to find ways to win and keep a positive mentality about his future in the NFL the same way he did when he was looking at his future after high school.
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Cousins, a Holland Christian graduate, has played well for the Atlanta Falcons in place of the injured Michael Penix Jr.
He has two years left on his contract with the Falcons and will be looking at a quarterback battle with Penix Jr. for a starting spot next year. There is always the possibility of a trade when two quarterbacks are doing so well on the same team, too.
More: Sports Illustrated details Kirk Cousins’ unique relationship with Holland Sentinel
So how does Cousins look at the future in 2025? The same way he did in 2006.
“I remember my high school senior year, to go in the way-back machine. I got that same question from The Holland Sentinel going into my senior year of high school,” Cousins said in Wednesday’s press conference. “I had no scholarship opportunities going into my senior year of high school. I was talking with schools. Dan D’Addona from the Holland Sentinel would say to me, How do you play the season knowing if you play well, you might get a scholarship, if you don’t, you won’t?’ (Thanks for the shoutout, Kirk!) And it is really the same answer then as it is now: You go out with your buddies and play the best you absolutely can, you enjoy it, you focus on the present and let the dust settle, let the chips fall where they may, and believe that if you win football games good things will happen to everyone involved. That was my answer at Holland Christian to The Holland Sentinel in 2006 and it is my answer now in 2025.”
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That mindset helped Cousins land a spot on Michigan State’s team, then land a starting spot that many thought he wouldn’t get.
Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium.
It helped him after being a late-round draft pick with Washington, then leading them to the playoffs.
It helped him when he played his best in Washington that led to a huge free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings, then again leading them to the playoffs, and finally landing a spot in Atlanta.
It is as simple to Cousins as making the most of his opportunities, which he has done more often than not, though he lost the Falcons starting job at the end of last season.
“Any time you get the chance to play, it is an opportunity. You feel like you need to play at a level that justifies you being out there. There is a responsibility that coms with that opportunity that I have always felt. I would hesitate to say I have to prove something because it would sort of negate the skins I have on the wall, if you will. I have the responsibility to do the best I can with my effort,” Cousins said. “The challenge is to keep that going. I have played a lot of years on expiring contracts. Probably more than most quarterbacks who have played a lot. I have kind of lived it and you understand to focus on the here and now. It has worked out for me.”
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Cousins led the Falcons (5-9) to a 29-28 win over Tampa Bay last week. He was 30-for-44 passing for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
“Pro Football tests you. It keeps me on my knees (in prayer). It’s been a difficult two years since tearing my Achilles. All I know to do is trust and keep going and walk by faith, not by sight, and that can be hard sometimes. Nights like tonight, you get a boost,” Cousins said after the win.
His performance was also a big deal to his coach, Raheem Morris, who never stopped believing in Cousins.
“I never thought that Kirk wasn’t a valuable starting quarterback, he just didn’t play like that at the end of last season when we needed it most. That is what forced me to make the switch,” Morris said. “Then we got a quarterback of the future in Michael (Penix Jr.). But I have always felt that way about Kirk and there is a reason we went out and got him. He is proving us right on that.”
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And that will continue to make Cousins part of Atlanta’s future plans.
“When we went down the journey of Kirk Cousins, we planned on the amount of years that we put in his contract, and hopefully, we were able to potentially get more,” Morris said. “So, we’ll see where that goes and all those types of things. But that’s definitely up for discussion once we get to the end of the season. We know we’ll get Mike back next year. But that’ll definitely be up for discussion.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins excelling again as starting quarterback