Sports
Kirk Cousins spoke to Aaron Rodgers, used him as 'benchmark' in Achilles rehab process
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has taken some hard hits in his NFL career, but he never needed surgery to repair an injury he sustained until Week 8 of the 2023 campaign.
Cousins suffered a torn Achilles, and in a flash, his season was done with surgery imminent to repair the ligament.
“It’s uncharted territory for me,” Cousins told Fox News Digital one day after the offseason workout period came to an end with his new team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, #18 of the Atlanta Falcons, speaks to the media during OTA offseason workouts at the Atlanta Falcons training facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Cousins found a new home in the NFL in free agency a few months back, but the veteran signal caller was not worried about that in late October 2023, when he knew he needed to go under the knife, and take on a rehab process he knew nothing about after the fact.
It is a scary thought for anyone, let alone a 35-year-old quarterback, to think about the daunting recovery process ahead. However, Cousins took things in stride and got some help from others, including New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers, of course, tore his Achilles four plays into his new tenure with the Jets and was already in his own recovery process when Cousins tore his seven weeks later.
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“Aaron’s a couple months ahead of me,” said Cousins, who also discussed how he “recharges the batteries” during his summer on his Manitou Pontoon Boat in Michigan before training camp. “I reached out to him before surgery back in late October, and we had a good conversation.”
With Rodgers specifically, Cousins explained how he would use him as a “benchmark” for his recovery, giving him a “good indicator of where you can be in two months.”
There is also looking at those who recovered from their Achilles.
Aaron Rodgers, #8 of the New York Jets, looks on during the national anthem prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“I like talking to people who are four, five, six years removed from an Achilles tear,” he said. “When I looked up people who’d torn one, it’s more common than I’d realized – among the NBA, among former quarterbacks. Athletes in general, and guys who went on to have success post-Achilles tear. So, it was encouraging to see the careers people have had before and after an Achilles tear.”
When Cousins had his recovery process broken down for him, he said it was a nine-month journey before he could really get back on the field and start going through drills. That was supposed to be Aug. 1 of this year.
“They said that you don’t really feel back to yourself until 12 months, but you can be back on the field sooner than that,” Cousins said. “I had hoped to be back sooner than nine months, but wasn’t sure. At OTAs, we had these practices, and when I first got injured, they said, ‘You’ll sit out of those practices, but training camp you’ll be good to go.’”
However, when it came time to join his Falcons teammates for OTAs, Cousins was seen with his red jersey, black helmet and on the field throwing the ball. As he put it, a “positive process.”
“I wasn’t going a million miles an hour, but I was able to get those reps and I felt like that really helped me get to know my teammates, get to know the system, get comfortable,” he said. “That was a step in the right direction. Now, over the summer break, it’s about continuing the rehab, so I can get closer to full speed by training camp and certainly by Week 1.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, #8, looks on from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
For a competitor such as Cousins, it is hard not being able to go full speed, especially in a new situation. However, the one fundamental part about Achilles recovery that he has learned – and still learns about every day – is how there is a tightrope to walk in terms of pushing the body to get back to full strength.
“They told me when I first injured it that you have this line in your rehab that you want to push up against,” he said, picking up his hands and putting them close together. “You’re not going to get back fast if you are back here and not pushing it. But you cannot cross the line, because when you cross the line, you also set yourself back.
“So, it’s been this dance of trying to figure out am I pushing it enough where I’m asking my body to take that next step in the healing process? But am I pushing too hard, also, and trying to go up against that line and not cross it? That really is the definition of good quality rehab, so I’ve been trying to find that since day one.”
The Falcons saw enough back in March when they dished out a four-year deal to Cousins worth $180 million with $100 million guaranteed. However, neither party will truly know how he will be on the gridiron in year 13 coming off his toughest injury yet.
Cousins continues to work toward that moment where he can prove he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, one who can lead the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, #18 of the Atlanta Falcons, looks to pass during OTA offseason workouts at the Atlanta Falcons training facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
In doing so, perhaps Cousins can be the one others call for advice on how to get to the point of success post-Achilles tear.
“I’m hoping to be able to add my name to that list,” Cousins said with a grin.
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Sports
Pirates star pitcher makes unfortunate history after being taken out in middle of perfect game bid
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Jared Jones was flirting with Major League Baseball history on Wednesday night — he got it, but it was not what he originally envisioned.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher retired the first 18 batters he faced, but he was taken out in the middle of his perfect game bid after six innings.
Now, the Pirates certainly have their reasons — the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t thrown more than 81 pitches in eight starts since returning May 20 after missing all of last season while undergoing ulnar collateral ligament internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025. He was yanked with 77 pitches and likely would have needed more than 100 pitches to record the 25th perfect game in MLB history.
Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 8, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
However, Jones left the game after getting zero run support, so when the Atlanta Braves tacked on three runs late for a 3-0 victory, Jones instead found himself in the wrong chapter of the history books.
According to Opta Stats, Jones became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1920) to pitch at least six perfect innings and not record a win.
“It does suck. Something’s cool coming on, but I’m on what? My eighth start off of surgery? I completely understand it, and it is what it is,” Jones told reporters after the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) makes his way to the field to warm up before pitching against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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Jones said he didn’t entertain attempting to complete the perfect game.
“Not with the pitch count,” he said. “Not really ever expecting to go nine right now, so that was never in my head.”
Joey Bart, traded to the Braves from the Pirates on June 18, followed a double by Mike Yastrzemski with a 422-foot, two-run homer to left-center field off a slider from Dennis Santana. Drake Baldwin added an RBI single to center in the ninth for good measure.
It was the second time in less than a week that a pitcher was taken out of the game with a perfect bid through six innings — the Miami Marlins took Eury Perez out after seven innings in which he had 92 pitches. Perez, too, is in the midst of returning from injury and has surprisingly found himself right in the postseason mix.
He was pulled for Lake Bachar to start the eighth, and the Marlins allowed eight runs to the Athletics in the final two innings, but held on to win 9-8.
Jared Jones (17) of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during a MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 27, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Pirates are 4.0 games out of the final wild card spot, which is held by the Marlins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON — The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on July 23 to celebrate their latest World Series title.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Times.
The date falls on a scheduled off day in the middle of a nine-game East Coast road trip for the Dodgers. The team will play three games in Philadelphia against the Phillies July 20-22 before ending the trip with a three-game series against the New York Mets July 24 to 26.
The visit continues a tradition from the Dodgers’ two previous World Series championships. They were hosted by President Biden in 2021 and President Trump in April 2025.
After the Dodgers claimed their second consecutive World Series title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, a visit to the White House was planned, but it wasn’t until Thursday that a date was officially booked and confirmed.
Questions swirled around whether players would decline the visit this year after it did not happen during a scheduled visit to Washington in April.
Kiké Hernández said in 2018 he was unsure he would have gone had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Mookie Betts said he was undecided and needed to talk it over with his family when last year’s visit was announced. After winning his first World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term.
Both players, along with every returning member of the 2024 team who was with the team during its road trip, participated in the visit. The only notable absence was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who remained in Los Angeles to nurse an ankle injury.
Manager Dave Roberts, who indicated in comments to The Times in 2019 he might not go to the White House if Trump was president, also participated in last year’s ceremony.
Asked at the Dodgers’ fan festival in January about the possibility of returning to the White House, Roberts told The Times’ Bill Shaikin: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.”
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country,” Roberts said. “For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. … For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Clayton Kershaw, who retired after last season but was on Team USA for this year’s World Baseball Classic, told The Times in the spring that he was aware Dodgers fans are split over whether the team should visit the White House again this year, but he said he is looking forward to it.
“I went when President Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
Times deputy sports editor Ed Guzman contributed to this report.
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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES CAITLIN CLARK STATUS UPDATE AHEAD OF FEVER-SPARKS, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER STAR’S INJURY
Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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