Sportsnaut
Just a year after signing a four-year, $180 million contract, Kirk Cousins is no longer 100% committed to playing football for the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, it doesn’t help that they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain by making Michael Penix a first-round pick just a month after seemingly making Cousins their franchise quarterback.
Nevertheless, now that Penix has overtaken Cousins for Atlanta’s starting QB job, it’s clear where the Falcons’ loyalties lie, and it’s not with the soon-to-be 37-year-old. Cousins knows he’s no longer the alpha in Atlanta, and he’d prefer to land in a situation that better offers him a chance to see the field as his career winds down.
Recently, Cousins has responded by skipping the Falcons’ voluntary OTA sessions. This could be his first step toward demanding a trade out of Atlanta. If so, let’s look at some potential landing spots for Cousins.
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Do the Philadelphia Eagles need a new starter? Absolutely not. Yet, this is a Super Bowl-caliber team that has far too much riding on the shoulders and legs of Jalen Hurts. Should their leader get hurt, the Eagles would hand the keys to their offense over to third-year pro Tanner McKee, but Cousins would be much more equipped for the job.
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There’s no question who the leader is in Denver. Yet again, if Bo Nix suffered a significant injury, the Broncos would be forced to turn to Jarrett Stidham. While Payton may be keen on the veteran, he’s not a better solution than Cousins, not for a team with hopes of returning to the playoffs.
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One of a few teams without a defined starting quarterback, the New Orleans Saints’ situation is arguably the scariest in the league. Sure, there is a trio of young arms eager to compete for the job, but what if none of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, or Jake Haener look capable of leading a winning effort? Unless Kellen Moore is cool with punting his first season on the job, then trying to pull off a rare inter-divisional trade for the Falcons’ backup QB could make a lot of sense.
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This one is simple. If Aaron Rodgers decides he doesn’t want to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, then the team will have to act quickly to find another highly capable starter. Pittsburgh won’t find anyone more motivated than Cousins. Plus, if Arthur Smith can maximize the skillset of the four-time Pro Bowl QB, he just might get calls to be a head coach again.
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