The start of the 2025 NFL season has seen a few starting signal-callers suffer serious injuries this early. The injuries range from relatively minor (San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Minnesota Vikings' JJ McCarthy) to season-altering (Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow). Because of that, the demand for backup quarterbacks is quite high. One name, in particular, is getting a ton of attention from fans: Atlanta Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins.
After losing his starting spot to Michael Penix Jr last season, Cousins has been sitting on the Falcons' bench this season. Many believe that the veteran quarterback could still be a productive passer, making him a popular target for Bengals and Vikings fans. However, on James Palmer and Dianna Russini's podcast, Palmer all but shut down this possibility.
“From what I can gather, the Atlanta Falcons are not trying to move him at this point,” Palmer said on the podcast. “They don’t have any idea about what they want to do after this season. But the thought has been, ‘We want to keep him on this roster, unless there’s a team that’s going to come in and say, ‘We’ll pay for his full salary.’ And I just don’t see a team willing to do that.”
Palmer added that many teams think that Cousins' career is “done”, and that unless the right team comes along, the quarterback will stay on Atlanta's roster.
It's easy to see why teams are hesitant to trade for Cousins, even with their main quarterback out. The Falcons quarterback is 37 years old and is just a few years removed from an Achilles injury. His stint with the Falcons wasn't promising either, as his lack of mobility severely hindered his passing chops.
Tack on his monstrous four-year, $180 million contract, and you have one of the most untradeable contracts in the NFL. Teams like the Bengals and 49ers cannot take on his large contract, while rebuilding teams like the Jets (who will not have Justin Fields for a while) are not willing to take on a huge long-term contract.
Still, perhaps there will be a team desperate enough to take the Falcons quarterback. For now, though, the market for Cousins is virtually non-existent.
