Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins were two notable absences as the two teams clashed on Monday Night Football.
Cousins, on a $180 million four-year deal with the Falcons since 2024, has been relegated to the QB2 spot by the Falcons since the emergence of Michael Phenix Jr.
Meanwhile, Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills is recovering from a pectoral injury he picked up in practice ahead of the Week 6 clash against the Falcons. His injury is serious, and he has been placed on the team’s injured reserve. Last week, coach Sean McDermott admitted to reporters that Hamlin may not back to the squad this season.
What Happened To Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins has been demoted to the Falcons QB starting order since the last three games of the 2024 season. Starting in the 2025 preseason, he has remained in the QB2 spot, serving as a backup to Michael Phenix Jr. Cousins, still very much a Falcons player, is not injured and in on the Falcons’ active roster for the Bills game.
Cousins’ demotion came after a lackluster 2024 season. He played 14 games for the Falcons in the 2025 season, passing for 303 yards with 18 touchdowns. The dipping numbers earned him a QB rating of just 47.0. It eventually sparked Raheem Morris’ decision to bench the star QB even before the 2024 season had ended.
What Happened To Damar Hamlin?
Damar Hamlin, the Bills safety who got massive media coverage nationally after a tragic injury he suffered in 2022, suffered a pectoral injury on Thursday, the team confirmed this week. He is expected to stay out of action for the Bills for most of this season.
Unless his recovery is dramatically sped up, he is not expected to return to the active roster anytime soon. “Damar is up in the air at this point,” Coach Sean McDermott told reporters about his status.