Did Kirk Cousins subtly hint at J.J. McCarthy's injury in Falcons press conference?

Although Kirk Cousins has yet to play in any game for that matter for the Atlanta Falcons, he seems to be chomping at the bit to go back out there. His last game with the Minnesota Vikings saw him tear his Achilles' tendon last season. Cousins headed to NFL free agency, ultimately signing with his wife's hometown team. While he is expected to do great things this year, he needs to be healthy for Week 1.

While meeting with the local media at the team's facility in Flowery Branch, Cousins was asked a very simple question: "Do you like playing in preseason games?" He responded by saying that he enjoys being out there and playing in them because he feels he can get something out of them. Of course, these risks are very real, and nobody ever wants their season to end before it even really begins.

While he may have been referring mostly to a few of his fallen teammates like defensive back DeMarcco Hellams, who will miss some time due to injury, or wide receiver Rondale Moore or edge rusher Bralen Trice, who have suffered season-ending injuries already, there is a chance Cousins may have casually been referring to what happened to his replacement J.J. McCarthy over in Minnesota.

"We can try as hard as we can to make practice feel like the real thing, but it doesn't... But there will always be this debate as long as guys are getting hurt like what we had the other night."

McCarthy's rookie season ended out of Michigan after he tore his meniscus over the weekend.

I cannot definitively say if he was subtly referring to McCarthy, but quarterbacks are in a fraternity.

Did Kirk Cousins refer to J.J. McCarthy in his preseason injury comment?

To me, I think Cousins is infinitely more concerned about what goes on in Flowery Branch, Georgia than whatever is going on in Eagan, Minnesota of late. He may have spent his last six NFL seasons playing for the Vikings, but his plans now are to play the next few seasons in Atlanta and retire as a Super Bowl champion. Then again, Cousins will always be tied to what he did in Minnesota previously.

Even though now is the time to lock in for the season ahead, news travels fast. I am sure NFL players all feel for McCarthy ahead of his rookie year. The same principle applies to Moore and Trice being out for the year, as well as Hellams being out for a significant stretch as well. It takes a special type of person to play football at the highest level. They have all achieved their dreams of playing.

I am sure in a much larger sense that Cousins could have been talking about McCarthy, but the nature in which he answered the question was rather macro to begin with. While it remains to be seen if Cousins will play vs. the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, all signs point to him leading the Dirty Birds out of the tunnel during Week 1 of the regular season. Cousins' health will sink or swim this team.

Football is a sport with a 100 percent injury rate, as Cousins knows this all too well after last season.