The Pittsburgh Steelers know who their Week 1 opponent is. And they’re pretty sure which quarterback they’ll face. Heading to Atlanta to play the Falcons on Sept. 8, the Steelers’ defense is likely to see QB Kirk Cousins suit up on the other side.
Despite tearing his Achilles midway through 2023, Cousins believes he’ll play in the ’24 opener.
“It’s a bull market and you should be buying. I expect to be playing Week 1 against Pittsburgh,” Cousins said during ESPN”s schedule release show Wednesday night.
Cousins left Minnesota and signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons, including $100 million guaranteed. He tore his right Achilles last Oct. 29 in a Week 8 game versus the Green Bay Packers and missed the rest of the year. Cousins was enjoying a fine season, throwing 18 touchdowns to just five interceptions while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and helping the Vikings climb out of an early-season hole.
Cousins signing with the Falcons was a big-enough story. Atlanta magnified it even more by drafting Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick. If for some reason Cousins isn’t ready to start the year, Penix will presumably make his first NFL start against the Steelers.
But all reporting has put Cousins on track to be ready for September football. In late February, he shared video of him dropping back on a tennis court, moving well and looking healthy.
In his career, Kirk Cousins has made just two starts against the Steelers, going 1-1. As a member of the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh beat him in the 2016 season opener, Cousins throwing zero touchdowns and two interceptions in a 38-16 loss. Cousins knocked off Pittsburgh in 2021 with the Vikings, tossing two touchdowns and two picks.
Cousins’ debut will be one of several storylines to consider for the game. The Falcons have a new head coach in Raheem Morris, who served on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ staff alongside Mike Tomlin in the early 2000s, the two still good friends to this day. And Steelers OC Arthur Smith will return to Atlanta after being fired by the team this offseason.
