In 2023, Kirk Cousins was playing some of the best football of his career before suffering a midseason Achilles tear. This devastating injury ended Cousins’ six-year run with the Minnesota Vikings as he signed with the Atlanta Falcons over the offseason.

The veteran QB was one of the NFL’s biggest free-agent dominoes, landing in Atlanta with a $180 million contract. The team deserves credit for addressing its top roster need but expectations have been raised significantly. The Falcons need to go out and win the NFC South this season and Cousins needs to play well for that to happen.

On Monday night, Cousins became the second Falcons player to make the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2024 countdown. After offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom landed at No. 88, Cousins came in at No. 81:

The top 100 players countdown is currently airing on NFL+ but will replay on NFL Network starting on July 31. Cousins and Lindstrom weren’t exactly surprises, however, we’d expect to see at least one more Falcon on the list. Safety Jessie Bates had a monster season and will likely be the third player included in the top 100.

Story originally appeared on Falcons Wire