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FLOWERY BRANCH — The Atlanta Falcons began training camp Thursday with their first practice session from IBM Performance Field.

In this frame of the NFL season, several star players choose to skip camp during the midst of unsuccessful contract negotiations. Fortunately for Raheem Morris’ team, all players reported for camp, and only one was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Running back Robert Burns was the lone Falcon placed on the PUP list, which marks great progress in the return of Kirk Cousins and Grady Jarrett.

Cousins, who is still working his way back from an Achilles injury he suffered late last October, looks poised to take all first-team reps in camp, with little or no limitations — a remarkable feat for an injury that severe. Cousins was cleared to return earlier than anticipated.

“No limitations,” said Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on Cousins’ ramp-up from injury. “Obviously some of his limitations will come in our individual drills, some of our movement, making sure we don’t wear him out to the point that we want to get all the team reps with him.”

Morris continued saying, “The limitations for him you won't notice, that’ll just be our own modification that we do.”

During Atlanta’s OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp sessions, the Falcons were cautious with their new star QB. By limiting his mobility in practice and keeping others away from him as best as possible during drills, the Falcons chose to take no risks with Cousins.

Although Cousins is close to 100% and is expected to return for the regular season, it is still to be determined if the Pro Bowl quarterback will make an appearance in the preseason. Cousins shared after Thursday’s practice that he would like to play in the preseason, but the request may have “fell on deaf ears.”

Longtime Falcon Grady Jarrett was able to take the field on Day 1 and is also expected to practice without many limitations, like Cousins. Jarrett, who is entering his 11th NFL season, has worked his way back after suffering a torn ACL in Atlanta’s Week 8 matchup with Tennessee last season.

Unlike Cousins, however, Jarrett was more limited during OTAs and minicamp. While he was able to practice off to the side, he never participated in any live action with the team.

“It felt awesome,” Jarrett said of being back on the field with the team. “I set a goal to be back by the open of training camp and I reached my goal (and) felt good.”

Jarrett continued, speaking on his limitations in camp.

“No limitations," he said. "But obviously, we have to be smart going forward. It’s almost like riding a bike. It’s Year 10 now, knowing how to practice as a pro, knowing what it takes to be ready for game time and I can say I’m definitely starting in the right direction.”

Raheem Morris echoed the same sentiment about Cousins that he did with Jarrett, stating that the modifications in practice for Jarrett won’t be anything noticeable.

Jarrett practiced on Thursday with a knee brace on but stated that the brace is a precautionary measure in his return from injury and he is unsure of how long he will wear it.