Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering Year 14 in the NFL, but he still has several ties to his debut season with the now-Washington Commanders in 2012.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is one. Long-time NFL quarterback Rex Grossman is another. Grossman was Washington's third-string signal caller behind Cousins and Robert Griffin III from 2012-13. He saw Cousins's first start and first eight professional appearances.
And Grossman wants to see the 36-year-old Cousins, now the Falcons' backup, hit the field this fall -- be it in Atlanta or somewhere else.
"I’d like to see him not be a backup next year," Grossman told CardPlayer.com's Kyle Odegard. "I don’t know how things will shake out, but if someone gets hurt, someone gets traded, I want to see him on the field. Man, he’s a great professional in every sense of the word.
"All of his contracts were great. I think he lived up to every single of them except for winning the Super Bowl. If you’re a team in need of a quarterback, there is nobody left that’s better that you can go get."
Grossman hails from Bloomington, Indiana, the home of Indiana University. He watched Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. play at Indiana from 2018-21.
It's well-documented Penix suffered four season-ending injuries during his time at Indiana, and Grossman believes Penix's injury past is enough of a reason for the Falcons to keep Cousins, even if an offer comes.
"Michael Penix Jr. is a really talented young quarterback, but that’s not exactly a guarantee either," Grossman said. "He could get hurt. He’s gotten hurt quite a bit. (Cousins is) an expensive backup, but you’ve got a quarterback on a rookie deal.
"I would stick with it unless there was a player or pick you couldn’t turn down. We’ll see how it turns out, but as a fan and a friend, I’d like to see (Cousins) play."
The Falcons have expressed a desire to keep Cousins as their backup, and the four-time Pro Bowler said during mandatory minicamp he's committed to doing what's best for the organization.
Cousins also acknowledged he wasn't fully healthy at the start of the 2024 season, still feeling the effects from a torn Achilles suffered midway through 2023. He lacked mobility in his ankle, and midseason injuries to his elbow and shoulder compounded the issues.
But Grossman, who watched as Cousins threw just one touchdown and nine interceptions in his final five starts before his benching, said he didn't even know Cousins was injured during the spell.
"I was just like, 'Man, he’s in a slump,'" Grossman said. "He looked good and he was clutch in the first half of the season, and then watching (as the season went along), there were uncharacteristic lob balls over the middle that were picked. Crucial plays early that got him in a hole. It just didn’t seem like he was playing like himself.
"Sometimes that happens, and if you’ve built up enough clout in the organization and in your career, people can be like, 'Alright, (he will be fine.)' But they pulled the plug pretty quick on him."
Grossman said he would have let Cousins get over his issues, and if the Falcons truly wanted to pursue the Penix route, he would have done it at the start of the 2025 season.
But Grossman doesn't want his message twisted: He's excited to see Penix play. Penix didn't shy away from the spotlight in his three starts, Grossman said, and he played well. His arm talent impressed, too.
"His intermediate passes -- the deep crossers, over the middle and floating the ball over the second level and in front of the safeties -- he’s accurate, and he’s on time," Grossman said. "He spins it. Much of what I watched was from Washington Huskies tape, but man, he’s got a lot of potential."