Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins generated some online buzz Monday (Aug. 19) when the team supposedly turned over their practice playlist to the QB for his 36th birthday and it was filled with early 2000s rock jams.
Cousins, who previously professed his love for Creed and even investigated booking them for a private party, seemed to be feeling in a more pop-punk mood for his special day, as the practice playlist was filled with hits from Jimmy Eat World, All-American Rejects, Green Day, Blink-182, All Time Low, Good Charlotte and more.
It wasn’t all pop-punk however, as Foo Fighters, The Killers, 3 Doors Down and Fountains of Wayne among others made the cut.
NFL reporter Kay Adams was one of the first to notice Cousins’ rock-centric playlist while doing interviews at the Falcons training camp earlier this week. It wasn’t long before Jimmy Eat World took notice of the mention and shared the famous “You like that” meme from Cousins’ playing days in Washington.
Are There Hidden Messages With Kirk Cousins’ Playlist?
With the NFL season just a few weeks away, teams are always looking to find an edge and get in the right mental state of mind. But is it possible that the new Atlanta Falcons QB had a secondary goal in sharing his playlist? NFL Network host Kyle Brandt broke down Cousins’ choices and thought he found some hidden messages to Cousins’ teammates in the song selections.
In a humorous segment on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Brandt notably pointed out that a majority of the playlist came from old Madden football games he was likely playing during that time.
“I sense there is something going on here that is no joke,” explained Brandt. “I spent the entire night last night in my L.A. hotel room not only studying this playlist but listening to it and my takeaway is that Kirk is telling us something, that there are hidden messages in this playlist that are hiding in plain sight.”
Brandt added, “Seventeen weeks in a season, 17 tracks. I think Kirk is seeing this whole season playing out in this playlist.”
READ MORE: NFL QB Kirk Cousins Investigated Booking Creed for a Private Party
What observations did Brandt make? First off, he mentions Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” and notes that Cousins is on a new team with a new coach and coming off a serious injury. “Week 1, Track 1. This is Jimmy Eat World …. I think he’s just saying to his team, ‘It just takes some time. Everything, everything will be alright.’ I don’t think they’re winning Week 1. I think he knows that. They’re playing Pittsburgh. He’s saying, ‘try your best, do everything you can. It just takes some time.'”
Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle”
Elsewhere, Brandt says of Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” that the track placement in the playlist lines up with the Falcons game against the Las Vegas Raiders. “What does someone who comes back from Las Vegas, a good Christian boy like Kirk Cousins’ say? ‘I got another confession to make! …. And I’m gonna need the best, the best, the best of you to beat the Las Vegas Raiders.” Brandt also humorously points out a likeness between Dave Grohl and the Raiders QB Gardner Minshew as well.
Foo Fighters, “Best of You”
Perhaps the most “down the rabbit hole” observation of all was that Cousins had chosen “This Love” from Maroon 5 for the playlist and that it lined up with the Falcons playing the Washington Commanders. Cousins started his career in Washington whose uniform colors include maroon and he’s facing off against rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who wears what number? Yes, No. 5.
Maroon 5, “This Love”
Check out Brandt’s full breakdown below.
NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt Finds Hidden Messages in Kirk Cousins’ Playlist
Whether you want to go scoping out hidden messages or just enjoy a musical trip back in time to the early 2000s, you can check out Kirk Cousins’ Birthday Practice Playlist currently on Spotify below.
But Wait, There’s a Twist
Sadly, after the Kirk Cousins playlist started making the rounds, it was learned that the Falcons new QB wasn’t totally responsible for the song choices. Sports Illustrated writer and host of the SI Media podcast Jimmy Traina revealed that Cousins later copped to Kyle Brandt in a voice memo that a Falcons assistant had made the playlist based off guessing which songs Cousins would like to hear.
Guess that explains the glaring omission of Creed!
50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums of All-Time
Prepare your Dickies and black wristbands.
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff