Atlanta Falcons' Kirk Cousins Excluded in ESPN's Top 10 QB Rankings

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was an honorable mention, according to ESPN.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was ranked outside the top-10 passers in the NFL by an ESPN poll. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- In the midst of OTAs last month, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said he thinks Kirk Cousins is a top-10 quarterback. Evidently, NFL coaches and executives disagree.

In a poll collected by ESPN that ranked the top 10 passers league-wide, Cousins wasn't on the list. Instead, he was named an honorable mention, joining a group that includes the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, the Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love and the Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa.

The 35-year-old Cousins played only eight games last year due to a torn Achilles, but he produced at a high level before succumbing to the injury. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.

And evidently, Cousins, despite his exclusion from the list, still has fans around the league.

"He's proven he can be elite," an NFL offensive coach who voted Cousins in the top 10 told ESPN. "From '21 to now he's basically been that. The [Vikings] had no chance without him last year."

The top-10 were ranked as follows: Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud, New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers, Detroit Lions' Jared Goff and Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott.

Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed this spring, is tied with Mahomes for ninth in the NFL in average annual per-year salary at $45 million, according to OverTheCap.

Given a fresh start and talented supporting cast spearheaded by receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson, Cousins will get a chance to earn his way into the top 10 of next year's list - a mission starting July 24, when he and the rest of the Falcons report to training camp.