Kirk Cousins Spends Much of ‘Quarterback’ Season 2 Wanting to Be Recognized

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Kirk Cousins Spends Much of ‘Quarterback’ Season 2 Wanting to Be Recognized

Let me preface this story by saying that, in any measurable way, Kirk Cousins is a better man than me. He’s bright, tough and a fine quarterback. Cousins is a Christian; he’s charitable, lovely and humble — well, there may be one exception to that final attribute.

Cousins spends much of Netflix docuseries Quarterback season two seemingly wanting to be recognized in Atlanta, his new NFL city but one close to his heart. Cousins and his wife Julie Hampton were married in Atlanta in 2014; their son Turner is named after Ted Turner, and the family is settled in the suburbs of Atlanta. The home to the Falcons is more than just an adopted NFL hometown for them — it’s a real hometown.

Cousins’ 2024 NFL season had more downs than it had ups, with Kirk going from Falcons starter to Michael Penix Jr.’s backup. It’s all chronicled in Quarterback, which featured Cousins as the lone returning QB from season one.

Also chronicled in season two, which I don’t specifically recall from season one — when Cousins was in Minnesota as the Vikings signal caller — is Cousins sort of outing himself in public as Kirk Daniel Cousins. It’s not not charming, but it is pretty noticeable.

The first incident was the most glaring. In season two’s episode two, following a win, Cousins and his brother Kyle Cousins hit Cook Out.

“I haven’t had Cook Out in like a year,” Cousins tells the drive-thru window worker. “And I’ve always wanted to go to this Cook Out after a Falcons game.”

“Why?” the employee asks.

Kirk: ”Because it’s close to the stadium.”

“Wait, you play with the Falcons or something?” the employee asks, clearly catching her prompt.

Kirk: ”No, I just was at the game.”

“You can tell her you do,” Kyle tells his brother.

You know you want to, Kirk.

Well now he can’t. It turns out she’s a New Orleans Saints fan anyway — time to peel away.

“We will see you again someday after a Falcons game,” Kirk says as they head home to enjoy a burger meal.

Cousins makes good on that promise in episode four.

But first, in episode three, Cousins goes to Great Clips in what comes across as a fishing expedition to be the next Great Clips spokesperson. In reality, it’s probably just further proof that Cousins is just a happy, modest dude.

The first thing you (probably didn’t) notice in that scene is that on the Wait List, Kirk Cousins is “Cousins, K.” The other folks are First Name-only or First Name + Last Initial, which this Great Clips customer (Tony M.) can confirm as the norm. Yes, that’s nitpicking. But then Cousins pulls up his official NFL headshot from a Falcons game day program (with shoulder pads and all) on his cell phone to show the barber the exact style he’s looking to replicate.

Cousins says he wants “Like a one, and then you fade it up,” referencing the clipper number. Here comes more pettiness from this New York Giants fan: Great Clips has a file on each of its regular customers. They know what you get without a photo reference. And before you argue, “Well maybe he just popped in…”

Uh-uh.

“I go to one place and that’s Great Clips,” Cousins says later in the to-camera “Confessional”-style interview.

“I kind of live all over the country,” Cousins tells his stylist, “so I just kinda Google the nearest Great Clips and make it work.”

“It’s hard to have a go-to barber when you’re always on the go,” he adds.

Just say it. You’re Kirk Cousins — yes, the Kirk Cousins — quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. And of course you’ll pose for a selfie.

OK, it’s time to be fair. When Netflix cameras follow you everywhere, and Netflix waivers need to be signed, it’s probably worth breaking that tension with an intro. But you don’t want to assume people know who you are — NFL players are a bit conspicuous behind their helmet and a mask — and you also don’t want to just announce who you are, as if expecting a certain response. So these moments can be awkward for the star of any reality series — but it doesn’t have to be.

Plus, I bet Cousins tipped well; again, he’s a good dude, clearly. (Also clear by this point: I’m not.) Cousins is a first-ballot Heaven guy, whereas I’d need a sponsor’s exemption. (Has that Great Clips spox gig been filled yet?)

They say three is a pattern, so let’s keep our binge going.

In the fourth of seven Quarterback season two episodes, Cousins’ brother returns to town along with two of Kirk’s high school buddies. At a country club lunch, the three non-celebrities each order a Roy Rogers (Coca-Cola with grenadine) to drink. Cousins remains as thirsty as ever, though not for a bar-made cherry Coke. (Actually, he’d love one.)

“Just water for me,” Cousins tells the waitress. “But if it was the offseason, I’d definitely be joining them in having a Roy Rogers.”

In case you were wondering, it was definitely not established (in the scene as cut and presented) that Cousins was an athlete who had a season to not ruin with the combination of cola, fruit juices and artificial flavors. Also worth mentioning if it is not clear: not everyone in Atlanta, Georgia either works in the service industry or is a professional athlete.

The final three episodes for Cousins’ storyline are too somber for him to look for recognition or for me to poke fun at it. Cousins gets hurt, he gets benched and the Falcons miss the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins’ 2024 NFL season is over, but not without a few final reminders of his kindness; I owe it to him to end on these notes. For starters, if you don’t get misty-eyed when Julie tells the story of finding her husband in the garage congratulating Michael Penix Jr. immediately after Kirk learns he lost the starting job to the rookie, you have less of a soul than I do. We like that. We like that!

But perhaps no scene in Quarterback season two depicts how beloved Cousins is more than in his return to Minnesota, where his former Vikings teammates and staffers basically wouldn’t let him leave the field until he got all the post-game love. And Cousins gave it right back: to Sam Darnold, the quarterback the Vikings kept when they let Cousins walk (and who threw five touchdowns that day in a Minnesota win), to the very defensive secondary that intercepted Cousins twice, and really, to anybody he could get his glove hand and throwing hand on.

Meet Kirk Cousins — he’s a hell of a guy.

Quarterback season two is now streaming on Netflix.

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