MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins still distinctly remembers his first NFL preseason game, almost exactly 12 years removed from flying to Buffalo as a rookie with the now-Washington Commanders.

Cousins, a fourth-round rookie brought in to be first-round pick Robert Griffin III’s backup, had his parents in the stands, prompting the realization of how far he had come from his childhood playing days in Barrington, Illinois.

A similar thought crossed his mind when he saw linebacker Shawne Merriman, then entering his final season, line up across the ball.

And regardless of how the rest of his career unfolded, Cousins knew he’d always be able to claim taking the field in an NFL uniform.

“I remember thinking, ‘Well, if they cut me, I got to wear an NFL helmet for one game, and it was a dream just to be out there,’” Cousins said after Wednesday’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins.

His first action came late in the first half — a two-minute drill with Washington leading 7-3. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, radioed into Cousins’s helmet once he entered the huddle, but didn’t start by giving the play call.

“How do you feel?” Shanahan asked. “First drive, two-minute drill, here we go.”

Cousins hit his first two throws, but his next two fell incomplete. His fifth pass was intercepted, ending the drive. Washington didn’t score with Cousins under center but hung onto a 7-6 win. Then just 23 years old, Cousins went 9-of-22 for 74 yards with one interception.

“It was not a productive game,” Cousins said. “But we moved the ball, and I had fun and got a lot of things covered. It was a good memory.”

But for Cousins, playing in preseason games has quickly become a distant memory — his last appearance came in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings.

His two-year absence is expected to reach three over the next several weeks, starting at 7 p.m. Friday when the Falcons take on the Dolphins inside Hard Rock Stadium.

“Kirk won’t get nearly as much work in those type of situations, if any,” Morris said before Wednesday’s practice

Earlier in training camp, Cousins disclosed he and Morris had a brief, informal conversation in June about the preseason during which Morris essentially shut down any ideas of playing his nine-figure, 35-year-old quarterback.

Cousins, however, claimed he wants to play, citing the value in seeing live bullets. This is particularly relevant for Cousins, who is nine months removed from surgery on his ruptured right Achilles and has been knocked to the ground just once — an accidental hit from a Falcons defensive lineman in the open practice Aug. 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Further, Cousins still sees things happen each day that tell him the Falcons need to get up to speed. He wants the offense to look like it has worked together for 10 years even though the core first united less than five months ago. Atlanta grows closer to that goal each day, Cousins believes, but an in-game test may hasten the development.

Yet Cousins also grasps the argument for not playing and is ultimately at peace with Morris and the staff’s decision.

“I think it’s a calculated deal,” Cousins said Wednesday. “If you could promise me I’m coming out feeling no worse for the wear, absolutely. I’d love to play all four quarters, but the reality is that you can’t promise me that. You have to be calculated and say, risk versus reward.

“Let’s get all we can in these two days, and then we’ll protect you is really the thought process.”

Cousins noted the precautionary measure has long been commonplace in the NFL, and he understands where his responsibilities shift during the exhibition affairs — while not playing physically, he’s still mentally engaged.

The four-time Pro Bowler said he’ll be standing on the sideline with an earpiece in, listening to the play calls while looking at the coverages and deciphering where he’d go with the ball and how he’d work through progressions.

“You’re kind of playing the game from the sideline as you’re watching,” Cousins said.

When Atlanta’s offense hits the field Friday night, it won’t be reinventing the wheel in terms of schematic looks. Plays will be straightforward, with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson not wanting to give anything away.

Still, it’s an opportunity for Cousins to simulate — mentally, not physically — the new offense he’s in. On the field, however, several players get the chance to taste the same sense of accomplishment Cousins did 12 years to the day.

“I remember saying to (my parents) after the game, ‘I had a lot of fun because you’re just able to play football,’” Cousins said. “There’s not as much riding on a regular season game or a college game that you’re starting.

“So, you really just get to play the game that you love, and I think that’s a real positive to these preseason games.”

But on Friday night, Cousins appears unlikely to get that chance — and while he won’t fear his job security as he did when he ran through Buffalo’s tunnel in 2012, his mind may be set on another worry: Week 1 readiness.