With the NFL trade deadline looming, Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins may be hearing his name swirling around in rumors.
After all, the 37-year-old signal caller showed he was a capable starter at times last season. He led the Falcons to a 7-7 record while under the helm and threw for 3,508 yards with 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
It was a drop-off from the Pro Bowl numbers he showed he was capable of putting up with the Minnesota Vikings prior to signing his mega deal with the Falcons, but Cousins is still enticing for teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, who are reeling from injuries to their starting quarterback.
While the thought of starting somewhere else could be attractive to the former Washington and Minnesota star, according to FOX NFL reporter Greg Auman, Cousins is focused on helping his team out any way he can.
“Right now, it's just about the role I'm in, and focused in on helping us win football games and being ready for the next challenges we face,” Cousins told the media on Monday. “I'll stay sharp, and you never know what the league will bring.”
Cousins has been acting as now-starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s mentor ever since the Falcons opted to draft the Washington product just weeks after signing the star veteran in a shocking move.
It took some adjustment after Cousins felt like the Falcons misled him with the move, but he has fully embraced it as he prepares to do what’s best for the team.
“For right now, I think you focus on the task at hand, being one play away and being ready,” Cousins continued when talking to reporters, via Auman. “Also being a great support to the guys that are starting.”
In Cousins’ last full season as a starter in Minnesota, he put up 4,547 passing yards with 29 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Maybe some team out there believes that he could come back and put up similar numbers to help them to the playoffs.
But he is focused on doing what he can for the Falcons for now.
