Sportsnaut
The Atlanta Falcons attempted to trade quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason but couldn’t find a suitor willing to absorb his deal with other options available on the market. Now that injuries have struck multiple starters across the league, Atlanta is reportedly determined to maximize its leverage in negotiations.
On the latest episode of the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said the Falcons need any team interested in acquiring Cousins to take on the entirety of his remaining fully guaranteed salary this season.
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Entering Week 3, $24.44 million remains of Cousins’ guaranteed salary, with the figure dropping by $1.53 million each week. So, if an interested team waits until mid-October, Cousins could be acquired with less than $17 million remaining on the contract.
As for the final two remaining years on Cousins’ deal, any team rostering him in 2026 could designate him as a post-June 1 release and create $25 million in cap savings. That would leave said franchise with a $32.5 million dead cap next season and a $12.5 million dead cap in 2027.
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However, the Cincinnati Bengals seem inclined to move forward with Jake Browning. Cincinnati’s coaching staff views him as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL, capable of filling in as a starter for multiple weeks. While circumstances were different in 2024, Browning posted a 3-3 record as the Bengals’ starting quarterback.
As for the Minnesota Vikings, they don’t seem to be making plans to pursue another viable starter. J.J. McCarthy is only expected to miss a few weeks. While the 22-year-old quarterback struggled in his first two starts, the coaching staff won’t bail on him early.
Given those circumstances, Atlanta is highly unlikely to find a trade partner willing to sacrifice quality draft capital (Day 2 pick) and take on the remainder of Cousins’ contract. As a result, he’ll remain the Falcons’ backup quarterback for the foreseeable future.
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