Atlanta, GA
Will Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Play in Preseason? ‘Calculated Deal’ says No
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.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Soccer fever took over The Battery Atlanta on Thursday as fans gathered outside Truist Park for a rare chance to see the FIFA World Cup trophy in person.
Children kicked soccer balls across the plaza while crowds counted down to the dramatic reveal of the iconic trophy, widely considered the most coveted prize in international sports.
The appearance marked the first public viewing of the FIFA World Cup trophy in Atlanta.
“It’s the real trophy,” said fan Abdulrahman Dwead. “Nobody is allowed to touch the actual trophy unless you won it or are the president of FIFA. So, me standing beside that cup, that’s an honor to me.”
The trophy stop carried extra significance because Atlanta is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Local fans said the event gave them a deeper sense of excitement ahead of the tournament.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” said Melissa Richardson. “It’s something that doesn’t happen often and to be here in this moment is very important to me.”
The trophy was displayed outside the ballpark before moving inside Monument Garden during Thursday night’s Braves game, allowing ticket holders another opportunity to see the historic prize.
Organizers said the event gave thousands of fans a rare chance to experience a piece of soccer history in Atlanta.
“I’m so happy that Atlanta will host eight games,” Dwead said. “I’ve been here in Atlanta for almost 14 years and I love Atlanta so much.”
Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.
The Atlanta Dream are undefeated heading into their home opener and still finding ways to improve their roster.
The Dream announced Wednesday the signing of forward Amy Okonkwo to a developmental contract. It’s the latest roster move for an Atlanta team that is 2-0 and gearing up to play Sunday against the defending champion, Las Vegas Aces.
Okonkwo brings an impressive résumé despite her young career.
She most recently attended training camp with the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2026 season and appeared in eight games with Dallas during the 2025 WNBA season, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. She recorded a career-high 20 points against Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025, and made history as the first undrafted player since 2000 to average 10 or more points while shooting 60 percent or better through her first two WNBA games.
Her international résumé is equally impressive. Okonkwo has earned back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket MVP honors in 2023 and 2025 while helping Nigeria’s national team capture consecutive gold medals. Collegiately, she played at USC before finishing her career at TCU, where she earned 2018 Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Okonkwo joins a 12-player roster that includes Naz Hillmon, Te-Hina Paopao, Jordin Canada, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Nye, Rhyne Howard, Madina Okot, Allisha Gray, Isobel Borlase, Indya Nivar, Sika Kone and Brionna Jones.
The signing caps a busy stretch of roster moves for Atlanta.
Earlier this month, the Dream claimed guard Aaliyah Nye off waivers after she was selected by the expansion Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft and subsequently waived on May 7. Nye brings championship pedigree to Atlanta, having been a member of the 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces as a rookie, appearing in all 44 regular season games and finishing fourth among franchise rookies in made three-pointers with 37.
A guard out of the University of Alabama, Nye is one of the sharper shooters in the league. She finished her college career with 389 three-pointers across stops at Alabama and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. In her final season with the Crimson Tide, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors after averaging 15.2 points per game and setting the program’s single-season record with 111 made three-pointers.
To make room for Nye, the Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn, a move that came with an emotional cost. Winterburn, a Northampton, England native who went undrafted in 2025 before signing with Atlanta as a free agent, said she learned she had been cut just before boarding the bus for the team’s first game of the season on May 9.
“I thought my welcome to the W moment would happen on the court, not as I’m getting on the bus for my first ever game,” Winterburn wrote on Instagram. “But that’s the reality of this business and I will always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave me. I’m built for this.”
Winterburn did not stay without a job for long. The Portland Fire signed her to a developmental contract shortly after her release.
After Tuesday’s road win in Dallas, the Dream return home Sunday to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at 1:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
Atlanta’s vibrant food scene offers diners so much more than comfort food classics (although top-notch versions of chicken, biscuits, and all the fixings can be found here, certainly), and leaving the city without tucking into an unforgettable meal should be criminal. But the trick is knowing where to go.
To make your stay in The A culinarily memorable, you need not only an up-to-date list of the city’s epicurean hotspots, but you also need to choose a home base that makes it easy to get to where you want to go. Choose your hotel poorly, and you might miss where fine dining finds industrial restoration in West Midtown, the continuous creative renewal in buildings and on menus in Old Fourth Ward, or the spirit and soulful flavors of Atlanta’s southside. That won’t be an issue with what’s below.
Old Fourth Ward
The walkable Old Fourth Ward neighborhood (O4W for short, which is located north of downtown Atlanta and southeast of Midtown) is home to many of the city’s top food spots. Find a morning pick-me-up from Chrome Yellow Trading Co., sweet treat from Little Tart bakery, or a decadent sandwich from Kinship Butcher & Sundry, where you can choose if you want your breakfast sausage sandwich served “double double,” or opt for a lunchier option like griddled pork belly with “drunken” mustard on brioche. Eastbound to downtown Decatur, Michelin-recommended and James-Beard-Foundation-recognized restaurants like Kimball House, home to some of metro Atlanta’s best oysters and craft cocktails, and The Deer & The Dove, where farm-to-table is performed with a fierce focus on flavor, are admired far beyond their suburban city’s limits.
O4W is also near historic Inman Park, where you can find exceptional pasta at BoccaLupo, steaks at Kevin Rathbun Steak, or dinner with premium cocktails at Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market.
Forth
Forth bills itself as part hotel, part local hangout and membership club, and its range of amenities and convenient location makes it a smart choice for your home base. It’s just off the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail and a five-minute walk to Ponce City Market, a food hall with stalls from a who’s-who of Atlanta’s culinary talent. (Don’t miss Botiwalla, where chef Meherwan Irani of the award-winning restaurant Chai Pani is slinging dishes inspired by Indian street food.)
Rooms at Forth mix mid-century style and modern function, you’ll find both heavy black telephones inspired by the old-school rotary dials and Bluetooth-enabled radio speakers in groovy wooden and brushed copper casing. The decor is otherwise understated, featuring metallics and earthtones, which allows the views they afford of the surrounding buildings and Beltline activity below to stay the star.
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