It’s been a year of firsts for Kirk Cousins.
Coming back from his first major injury and resulting surgery on his hamstring, Cousins also embarks on his first season with the Atlanta Falcons after six years with the Minnesota Vikings.
His offseason has been marked by recovery as he continues to rehab from rupturing his Achilles tendon during a Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers in October 2023.
After finishing spring workouts with the Falcons in Atlanta, Cousins returned to the Midwest, where his family will spend time in Saugatuck, Michigan, before training camp begins the final week of July.
There are more firsts in store for Cousins and his family, who plan to enjoy Lake Michigan in their first boat. Partnering with Manitou Pontoon Boats, Cousins spoke about the importance of this time of year and the wide range of activities his new pontoon offers.
“It is a really important time, although a quiet time, to get us ready for the grind of the season,” Cousins said in an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports on June 13.
“When I thought of pontoons, I thought of a grandpa driving them, that was the wrong perspective. This pontoon goes almost 50 mph but has the benefits of the pontoons in space and seating, it’s like driving your living room. You can waterski and tube and create wake and handle the waves of Lake Michigan,” Cousins added. “I felt like I got the best of both worlds — host a crowd and have a speedboat to do everything I want.”
Kirk Cousins Makes Up for Lost Time on the Lake
Despite moving to Minnesota over six years ago, Cousins rarely made it onto one of the Twin Cities’ many lakes, he said. His home in Inver Grove Heights was close to the Vikings’ facilities in Eagan but was relatively land-locked from many of the state’s ideal boating destinations.
“I thought ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ then I realized I wanted a short drive to work and that I’m not going to be on a lake,” Cousins said upon on his move to Minnesota in 2018. “The lake part of living in Minnesota we didn’t get to experience as much as I thought we would.”
Cousins is making up for lost time this summer, which he hopes to be the final chapter of his recovery from injury as he anticipates being fully recovered in time for Falcons training camp.
“First-time surgery and a rehab process, there’s a lot of firsts for me. I’m excited to get to the backside where the injury is behind me and play at a high level post-injury,” Cousins said. “I’m really excited to get our family together spending quality time recharging the batteries to get to another go-around of the NFL season.”
Among the many features Cousins touted of his new pontoon boat, the “Max Deck” is notable for allowing more lounge space and a safe platform to jump into the water, according to the company.
“For me, this summer break is all about recharging and that is where the Manitou Pontoon is going to be one of the tools I’ll use. If I have a great year, you’ll know why,” Cousins joked.
Kirk Cousins Returns to Minnesota in Falcons-Vikings Week 14 Matchup
While there are several spotlight games on the Falcons and Vikings’ schedules, few have more allure than Week 14 when Atlanta visits Minnesota on December 8.
Cousins will return to U.S. Bank Stadium while the Vikings will have a new quarterback under center — potentially rookie J.J. McCarthy — late in the season.
While Sam Darnold will open training camp as the Vikings’ presumptive starter, Cousins did not discount McCarthy’s potential.
“As a rookie, it’s a lot to take on. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I didn’t get to figure it out until halfway through my fourth year — that wasn’t my path,” Cousins said of the idea of being a Day 1 starter.
“McCarthy’s won a lot of football games,” Cousins added. “He has a bright future and it’s always exciting to see how guys develop.”
