Kirk Cousins stated to Aaron Rodgers, worn him as ‘benchmark’ in Achilles rehab procedure

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has taken some brittle hits in his NFL profession, however he by no means wanted surgical operation to fix an shock he sustained till Future 8 of the 2023 marketing campaign. 

Cousins suffered a torn Achilles, and in a flash, his season was once achieved with surgical operation approaching to fix the ligament. 

“It’s uncharted territory for me,” Cousins advised Fox Information Virtual one time upcoming the offseason exercise length got here to an finish together with his untouched staff, the Atlanta Falcons.

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Cousins discovered a untouched house within the NFL in separate company a couple of months again, however the veteran sign caller was once no longer apprehensive about that during overdue October 2023, when he knew he had to progress underneath the knife, and tackle a rehab procedure he knew not anything about upcoming the truth. 

This is a horrifying idea for someone, let lonely a 35-year-old quarterback, to take into accounts the daunting healing procedure forward. Then again, Cousins took issues in stride and were given some backup from others, together with Fresh York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

Rodgers, after all, tore his Achilles 4 performs into his untouched tenure with the Jets and was once already in his personal healing procedure when Cousins tore his seven weeks after. 

FALCONS LOSE DRAFT PICK, FINED BY NFL FOR TAMPERING DURING KIRK COUSINS PURSUIT

“Aaron’s a couple months ahead of me,” mentioned Cousins, who additionally mentioned how he “recharges the batteries” right through his summer season on his Manitou Pontoon Boat in Michigan earlier than coaching camp. “I reached out to him before surgery back in late October, and we had a good conversation.”

With Rodgers particularly, Cousins defined how he would virtue him as a “benchmark” for his healing, giving him a “good indicator of where you can be in two months.”

There could also be having a look at those that recovered from their Achilles. 

Aaron Rodgers, #8 of the Fresh York Jets, appears to be like on right through the nationwide anthem previous to a recreation towards the Buffalo Expenses at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, Fresh Jersey. (Michael Owens/Getty Photographs)

“I like talking to people who are four, five, six years removed from an Achilles tear,” he mentioned. “When I looked up people who’d torn one, it’s more common than I’d realized – among the NBA, among former quarterbacks. Athletes in general, and guys who went on to have success post-Achilles tear. So, it was encouraging to see the careers people have had before and after an Achilles tear.”

When Cousins had his healing procedure damaged ill for him, he mentioned it was once a nine-month travel earlier than he may just in point of fact get again at the farmland and get started going via drills. That was once meant to be Aug. 1 of this yr. 

“They said that you don’t really feel back to yourself until 12 months, but you can be back on the field sooner than that,” Cousins mentioned. “I had hoped to be back sooner than nine months, but wasn’t sure. At OTAs, we had these practices, and when I first got injured, they said, ‘You’ll sit out of those practices, but training camp you’ll be good to go.’”

Then again, when it got here day to tied his Falcons teammates for OTAs, Cousins was once obvious together with his purple jersey, lightless helmet and at the farmland throwing the ball. As he put it, a “positive process.”

“I wasn’t going a million miles an hour, but I was able to get those reps and I felt like that really helped me get to know my teammates, get to know the system, get comfortable,” he mentioned. “That was a step in the right direction. Now, over the summer break, it’s about continuing the rehab, so I can get closer to full speed by training camp and certainly by Week 1.”

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, #8, appears to be like on from the sidelines right through the second one part of an NFL soccer recreation between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto by the use of Getty Photographs)

For a competitor comparable to Cousins, it’s brittle no longer having the ability to progress complete pace, particularly in a untouched condition. Then again, the only basic phase about Achilles healing that he has discovered – and nonetheless learns about each time – is how there’s a tightrope to journey on the subject of pushing the frame to get again to complete power. 

“They told me when I first injured it that you have this line in your rehab that you want to push up against,” he mentioned, choosing up his fingers and placing them near in combination. “You’re not going to get back fast if you are back here and not pushing it. But you cannot cross the line, because when you cross the line, you also set yourself back. 

“So, it’s been this dance of making an attempt to determine am I pushing it plenty the place I’m asking my frame to tug that then step within the recovery procedure? However am I pushing too brittle, additionally, and looking to progress up towards that series and no longer pass it? That in point of fact is the definition of excellent component rehab, so I’ve been looking for that since time one.”

The Falcons saw enough back in March when they dished out a four-year deal to Cousins worth $180 million with $100 million guaranteed. However, neither party will truly know how he will be on the gridiron in year 13 coming off his toughest injury yet. 

Cousins continues to work toward that moment where he can prove he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, one who can lead the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. 

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, #18 of the Atlanta Falcons, looks to pass during OTA offseason workouts at the Atlanta Falcons training facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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In doing so, perhaps Cousins can be the one others call for advice on how to get to the point of success post-Achilles tear. 

“I’m hoping so that you can upload my title to that record,” Cousins said with a grin. 

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