Total Pro Sports
Now that Aaron Rodgers has officially signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins may be the next domino to fall.
The 36-year-old Kirk Cousins has been the subject of offseason trade rumors, but nothing has come to fruition. He has three years remaining on the $180 million deal he signed with the Falcons in 2024 free agency, but sophomore Michael Penix Jr. is the QB1 heading into 2025.
Cousins’ late-season struggles prompted head coach Raheem Morris to bench him in favor of Penix for the last three games of 2024. With Rodgers off the market, Cousins is now the best remaining QB via trade or free agency.
Bleacher Report’s Paul Kasabian looked at possible landing spots for Cousins following Rodgers’ agreement with Pittsburgh. Kasabian mentioned the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns as the top destinations for the four-time Pro Bowler:
Kasabian cited the Saints’ inexperience at quarterback (Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough) following Derek Carr’s retirement.
Anthony Richardson is facing a make-or-break year in Indianapolis, and Daniel Jones isn’t an inspiring backup option. The Browns have Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders competing for the QB1 job. Kasabian cited Cousins’ familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski, his offensive coordinator in Minnesota (2018 to 2019).
Looking around the league, there aren’t any other teams that make sense as possible destinations for Kirk Cousins if he wants to be a starting QB. So if Atlanta finds a trade partner, it would most likely be the Colts, Saints or Browns.
The bottom line is that Cousins makes too much money to be a backup in Atlanta. As he’s nearly two years removed from surgery on the torn Achilles he suffered in 2023, Cousins should be healthier and less rusty.
Cousins can still be a productive quarterback in the right offense. If the Falcons find a trade partner, both parties need to move quickly to close the deal.
