Subscribe
Follow Us
The Atlanta Falcons have an interesting situation on their hands at the quarterback position when it comes to Kirk Cousins. After signing him to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency last year, Cousins ended up getting benched for Michael Penix Jr. late in the season, leading to a swarm of trade rumors this offseason. Ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, Dianna Russini of The Athletic made a bold prediction regarding Cousins' future.
Despite reporting for Atlanta's voluntary offseason program, it seems like Cousins' time with the team is coming to an end. A trade during the upcoming draft could be a possibility, with Russini outright predicting he gets dealt on the third day of the draft. Taking things a step further, she thinks that a reunion with the Minnesota Vikings could be in the cards, while also floating the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants as potential landing spots.
“The Browns, Steelers and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade,” Russini reported on Tuesday. “Minnesota is looked at as the least likely scenario, given its preference for J.J. McCarthy and that Cousins would need to sign off on any trade he is involved in. It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year. If a trade were to happen, I’d expect it to go down on Saturday.”
Could Falcons send Kirk Cousins back to the Vikings?
The Falcons have publicly said they aren't interested in trading Cousins, but they have been listening to trade offers for him behind the scenes. General manager Terry Fontenot addressed the situation on Wednesday morning, confirming that Cousins reported to the team this week, while also saying that the draft could provide some clarity on whether or not the team ends up trading the veteran quarterback.
“Falcons GM Terry Fontenot confirms QB Kirk Cousins is in building for start of voluntary offseason workouts this week. Fontenot says the draft could provide more clarity on potential trade but it’s ‘not accurate' they’ve asked teams to pay $20 million+ of Cousins salary for deal,” Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Cousins threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns in 14 games last season before he got benched, with his league-leading 16 interceptions playing a big role in the team's decision to turn to Penix over him. The 2025 NFL draft is set to get underway on Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m. ET, and Cousins' status throughout the draft is one of the major storylines worth keeping an eye on.
