Now that the dust has settled on a wild NFL free-agency period, new Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins came to an honest realization about the 49ers.
Speaking to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge alongside San Francisco tight end George Kittle on Thursday at The Masters, Cousins expressed his excitement for his new team, but he recognized that the Falcons would have to get through Kittle and the 49ers.
“I’m really enjoying getting to know the teammates, really good guys and talented players and talented coaches so I couldn’t be happier about where we landed and where we are and what we have to look forward to,” Cousins said. “But everyone’s kind of looking up to the Niners right now in the NFC [points to Kittle]. So, if we’re going to go anywhere, we’ve got to get through this guy [Kittle] and his group.”
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Despite rupturing his Achilles eight games into the 2023 NFL season, Cousins was one of the hottest commodities on the free-agent market this offseason, signing a four-year $180 million contract with the Falcons. The hope in Atlanta is that Cousins will elevate a team loaded with offensive talent to the upper echelons of the NFC.
Kittle and the 49ers have been one of the most dominant NFC teams during the past few seasons, making it to four straight NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls over that span.
With San Francisco returning the bulk of its high-powered offense and young quarterback Brock Purdy continuing to develop, Cousins and the rest of the NFC will face a tough challenge in besting the 49ers.
