From 'Kirklore' to 'Superdad': How QB Cousins Won Atlanta Falcons' Locker Room

Inside stories from quarterback Kirk Cousins's first three months with the Atlanta Falcons.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has wasted no time delivering on the Atlanta Falcons' seven-figure investment. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins dons a gray blazer over a white dress shirt with a maroon tie wrapped around his neck. In front of Cousins is a black podium holding two microphones and the Atlanta Falcons' logo.

It's March 13, and Cousins is hours removed from signing his four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta, cementing himself as the organization's immediate solution under center.

From the time Cousins verbally agreed to the deal March 11, his phone call log had been dominated by conversations with his new teammates, underlining the four-time Pro Bowler's hopes of forming relationships.

Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings in free agency because he wanted stability and the chance to write a new chapter - not only for himself, but the Falcons.

In 2016, Cousins watched from the Georgia Dome stands as Atlanta took playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers en route to Super Bowl LI. Those were the Falcons' last two home playoff games; Mercedes-Benz Stadium has yet to host a Dirty Birds postseason affair.

The Falcons signed Cousins to change that, and he just as badly wants to be a part of the solution - a mission he feels starts with creating chemistry.

"It's really a goal of mine to revisit that moment again as a player here," Cousins said. "That's really the dream. The work begins trying to build continuity, because that's the one thing we really don't have right now."

He hasn't stopped working since.

***

When the Falcons began their offseason program April 2, Cousins walked through the team's cafeteria a few hundred yards from the edge of IBM Performance Field.

Atlanta's offensive line was eating breakfast together. Cousins approached and introduced himself to his position-anointed bodyguards before joining them to eat.

"It was really just right then, 'Hey, I like this guy. He fits in really well,'" said left tackle Jake Matthews, who's started 161 consecutive games and emerged as a stalwart on the Falcons' line. "He's just been really easy to get along with."

Matthews added he immediately felt comfortable with Cousins - their personalities clicked, sparked by a small three-year age gap that bodes well for Cousins's affinity to quote movie lines from their generation.

A captain each of the last three years, Matthews is an important figure in Atlanta's locker room. Cousins won him over at the breakfast table the first day and cemented his case the day thereafter.

On their second day back in Flowery Branch, the Falcons held their first whole-group offensive meeting. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had Cousins stand in front of the entire room and go through cadences so the rest of the offense could hear his voice.

Cousins came prepared, pulling out his notebook with a list of things he wanted to talk about. For 20 minutes, he discussed the intricacies of cadence - audible cadence, silent cadence for a road setting, the timing, tone and various inflections when making different calls.

For those in the room who were unaware of how Cousins is wired, quarterback coach T.J. Yates said the moment sent a firm message.

"It was almost like he was having a presentation for the entire offense, our very first meeting," Yates said. "It was good for coaches, the players in the room to open up their eyes like, 'Oh wow, this guy's about business. This is the guy that's going to lead us.'

"This is the type of professional, the type of quarterback you want when you talk about a prototypical franchise quarterback - like, that's it."

That was one takeaway. Matthews had another - one that fostered a high level of confidence in Cousins.

"His detail with it, what he's thinking and his mindset behind it was impressive," Matthews said. "You can just tell he's a guy that's asked every question and is expecting everything - he's on top of it. That in itself can breathe a lot of confidence, because, 'Hey, I trust this guy, he's going to know what to do.'

"And he expects the same from us, so that's on us to give it to him."

***

During the Falcons' first day of installations, Cousins let his voice be heard. He told his pass catchers - be it receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney or tight end Kyle Pitts - the minute details of what he likes on certain route concepts.

By this point, Cousins had already approached his trio of primary targets about a day trip to Florida to watch film with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, which ultimately took place nearly a month later before the start of OTAs.

Install day was the first time Cousins threw to his new teammates, an important box to check on the path to building continuity. But mentally, he'd been throwing to them for a month.

Prior to arriving in Flowery Branch, Cousins reviewed film on London, Pitts, Mooney and running back Bijan Robinson's catches and movement skills. He wanted to find - and potentially replicate - what they did well, but also determine if he needed to make any corrections.

In his first opportunity to suggest those corrections on the field, Cousins capitalized.

"He's very intentional," Pitts said. "And that's what you get with a vet - they tell you where to be in different coverages and going against different players. They tell you how to win, how we can utilize the offense the most and win our matchups."

Pitts noted Cousins is a great person to learn from, as he's seen a plethora of different players at various sizes, giving him a wide range of teaching points. London added he's learned "a ton of things" from Cousins, whose presence is noticeable in the locker room.

But perhaps most importantly, Cousins has emphasized making information distribution a two-way street. London said that while Cousins is leading the way, he's also learning from the rest of the players around him.

"It's very, very cool," London said. "We're all excited and ecstatic that he's here."

This includes the 22-year-old Robinson, Atlanta's first-round pick in 2023 and a versatile playmaker who accumulated over 1,400 scrimmage yards last season, good for 10th in the NFL.

By mid-April, when the Falcons were a few weeks into their offseason program and practicing plays with full-speed reps, Robinson saw Cousins's intentionality firsthand. Cousins told Robinson how he wants routes to be run and how best to get open, and the football followed.

"When I saw him getting me the ball in different ways, I was like, 'Man, this dude is legit,'" Robinson said.

Robinson thinks Cousins is a top-10 quarterback league-wide and has proven why thus far, with his abilities as a passer being on full display. But what Robinson said makes Cousins unique is how much he studies and how particular he is with little details.

If Cousins makes a mistake when relaying the play, he'll call the offense back together and do it again. When he gives handoffs to Robinson, he'll often ask, "Is that good? Is that good enough?"

Robinson said he doesn't think he's ever had someone sit down and tell him what to do and how to do it on the football field, because he's often trying to outsmart others. This is where Cousins has differentiated himself.

And Robinson has been all ears.

"The thing I like about him is he's not trying to take away the gifts that God's given us players," Robinson said. "It's little tidbits here and there, and he's just like, 'Do what you do, but we can do it like this, or try doing it like this, and seeing how it goes.'

"Really listening to him and taking all the information and feedback he has for me, I take that serious and I really appreciate him for that."

***

During one of Cousins's first few practices in Atlanta, Robinson glanced over at the veteran passer and saw something in his hands - a spot sheet.

The ideas Cousins had spoken to his pass catchers turned into a hard copy. It created a visual fueled by his preferences of where his weapons should be on certain concepts, which they'd since heard verbally several times over.

But really, the chart merely represented the ever-flowing football mind hidden beneath Cousins's helmet.

"Kirk right now has got these pictures in his head, and they’re boxes. They’re X's in spots, and he’s throwing to those spots," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said.

At his introductory press conference, Cousins said he wanted Atlanta's offense to look like it had been together for five years by the time Week 1 rolled around. It's a task he knows is ultimately overzealous, but one he's steadfast on conquering.

Building off-field chemistry was an important first step. Cousins went golfing with Pitts, took his offensive line to Red Lobster and organized the aforementioned trip to visit Gruden.

The result has been on-field rhythm - Mooney said Cousins was on time with everybody during OTAs. While a majority of Atlanta's roster either watched or participated in special teams drills at the end of practices, Cousins routinely threw passes to London, Mooney and Pitts on another field.

And because of how quickly Cousins's pinpoint accuracy translated, work became much easier for the Falcons' pass catchers.

"It's been nice," said Mooney, who spent the past four years battling quarterback inconsistency with the Chicago Bears. "You just have to win, and the ball will be in the right spot every time."

Morris has seen much of the same, watching from the sidelines as his nine-figure investment runs practices with the leadership expected from a 12-year veteran.

It's a reflection of the unique nature of Cousins's skill set from the neck up. Morris touted his speed-reading, which starts off the field with writing down information, mentally painting pictures and spitting the play out to form a visual model around him.

And while Cousins is still progressing from the torn right Achilles that cost him the final-nine games of the 2023 season, he hasn't been overly limited in his on-field work. If anything, he's ahead of schedule with his timing.

"Going through this offseason, you’ve been able to see a real nice connection," Morris said. "I think he’s got a real good feel for what his guys are able to do and what he can do with those guys."

Also beneficial to Cousins's mental mastery is the relative similarities to the offense he's learning under Zac Robinson, who comes from the same coaching tree - the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay - as Vikings head coach and offensive play caller Kevin O'Connell.

Cousins has impressed Robinson with his recall, be it from his time with O'Connell or Klint Kubiak, his offensive coordinator in 2021. Cousins's experience both league-wide and in the scheme have been helpful to Robinson, a first-time play-caller still finding his footing.

Yates said Cousins knows the offense better than some of the assistant coaches around him due to his time in Minnesota, and while Robinson is incorporating some new elements that are more familiar to the Falcons' returning players, Cousins has largely been applying his past with O'Connell to his present with Robinson.

And Robinson has enjoyed every second of his time alongside Cousins.

"He's incredibly cerebral," Robinson said. "He's seen so many different looks. You see right away how well he sees defenses. 'Hey, what if we put this on this?' He just sees the game in such a great way; that's why he's been such a good player for a long time.

"He loves it, he's so detailed with everything he does. It's been a lot of fun to hear his perspective on it. He's been a blast to be around and it's been a lot of fun to work with him."

Robinson noted Cousins has been immensely valuable to Atlanta's quarterback room, which Yates, the lead coach in the room, agreed with.

Cousins arrives each day with a list of what he wants to achieve, and he takes notes during each meeting. After Yates and assistant quarterback coach D.J. Williams finish teaching, Cousins asks follow-up questions to go into what Yates described as 500-level conversations.

The quarterbacks have fun, but Yates said his room is very professional - starting with Cousins.

"It's not a surprise he has had the success he's had in this league for such a long time by the way he goes about his business," Yates said. "You hear the term a 'pro's pro' all the time - he is the definition of a professional. Everything he does, how he carries himself, everything has a purpose. Everything is all about business."

***

When Cousins was looking for recommendations on where to live after moving to Atlanta, he reached out to Taylor Heinicke, the Falcons' backup quarterback who grew up a few minutes away from the team's facility.

And when Heinicke wants to know about anything on the field, he goes to Cousins.

"When it comes to football, Kirk's seen it all," Heinicke said.

From different targets to offensive schemes and defensive looks, Cousins has 145 starts of insight under his belt. But from the time he arrived in the league as a fourth-round pick in 2012, he's been wired the same way.

Morris knows better than anybody. When the now-Washington Commanders drafted Cousins, Morris was the team's defensive backs coach, though his curiosity often led him into the quarterback room during the offseason.

In the 12 years that have followed Cousins's introduction to the sport's highest level, Morris said he's seen immense maturation and personal growth. Cousins is more confident and comfortable being himself, which attracts teammates toward his leadership.

But for as much as Cousins has changed, some things remain the same. For one, his humility, which Morris dubbed a glowing positive that's been put on display by his willingness to learn from others.

The rest? Intangibles - of which Cousins has in spades.

"He was very similar when it came to his attention to detail and his application to his work ethic and what he is going to do every day," Morris said. "I still see that."

Such traits are key in understanding why Cousins has been so valuable not just to the Falcons' offense but the rest of the team. Falcons All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III will talk with Cousins after plays, each veteran offering notes to the other.

Cousins's ability to comprehend and communicate is also why he's an instrumental figure in quarterback meetings. Heinicke, who entered the league nine years ago, said he's learned a lot from Cousins - as much off the field as on it.

"He's probably one of the most professional quarterbacks I've worked with," Heinicke said. "Just how he approaches everything, how he communicates, how he talks to guys - it's truly impressive to see. He's a real pleasure to be around."

Perhaps appreciated more inside the building than outside, Cousins's veteran presence is a stark difference to the Falcons' quarterback situation last season, in which Heinicke twice replaced second-year pro Desmond Ridder.

But for those who've been with experienced passers, this element isn't overlooked. From knowing what he wants and how it should look to being able to lead the team, Cousins is equipped with an arsenal of traits the Falcons haven't seen at quarterback since Matt Ryan was traded after the 2021 season.

For the first eight years of his career, Matthews protected Ryan's blindside. The high standard Ryan set is the one Matthews grew to expect under center, yet Cousins is already raising the bar in some respects.

"With him, I just feel like there's something about the way he is in meetings and the way he's on top of the notes," Matthews said. "He's one of the more prepared guys I've ever seen."

***

Cousins and Bijan Robinson are locker neighbors. Beyond their serious, football-related conversations, they often joke. Robinson's favorite is to note the 13-year age gap separating the two.

One time, Cousins told a story of what he did "back in the day," and Robinson responded by saying he was born in 2002 - when Cousins was in seventh grade.

"I think Kirk is old enough to be my dad," Robinson said. "Like, real talk. But I love that dude, man. That's the fun of it - when you have a guy right next to you that can have fun and take all the jokes and still be focused on the field. It's always good to have somebody like that."

And on a Falcons offense featuring a trio of players in Pitts, London and Robinson all 23 years or younger, "dad" is a common name for Cousins.

"He's a dad, for sure," London said. "Nah, I love it man - he's a good guy."

But Cousins isn't just a dad. Pitts called him, "Superdad."

"He can joke when he wants to, but he's serious when he needs to be," Pitts said. "He's funny, goofy, informative. He gives a lot of funny quotes."

Cousins particularly enjoys quoting sports movies at practice, though one of his go-to's is Heavyweights starring Ben Stiller. Surrounded by younger players like Robinson, Cousins often references Stiller's line, "I know you because I was you."

The line came when Stiller was referring to his previous self before thinning down, and Cousins now uses it whenever he sees a teammate acting in a "foolish" manner.

But beyond "Superdad," Cousins has another descriptive name: Kirklore, used by running back Tyler Allgeier to describe the unique persona around his off-field style.

"You've got to really pay attention to it," Allgeier said. "Very subtle. Dry humor - you've got to know Kirk."

And by the time mandatory minicamp concluded June 12, much of the Falcons' roster did. It's a testament to the effort Cousins put in, from investing in relationships to spending extra time watching film and taking notes, to connect with his teammates on a deeper level.

Cousins's goal to build camaraderie early has been accomplished. He's still searching for more locker room-wide appreciation for some of his movie quotes, but that box is partially checked.

And now, Cousins is looking to check one more - bringing playoff football back to Atlanta.