Andrew Buller-Russ
Even though he signed a four-year, $180 million contract to join the Atlanta Falcons, Kirk Cousins‘ fate was sealed once the team selected Michael Penix Jr with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Penix has since become the team’s starting quarterback. Yet, Cousins is still on the roster.
Now, a year after signing his high-priced contract, Cousins wants a trade from Atlanta so he can avoid being a backup as he enters his age-37 season. But of course, the Falcons don’t want to just give the four-time Pro Bowler away.
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Kirk Cousins still seems destined for Browns, Steelers or Titans
The Atlanta Falcons already have their future franchise quarterback, but Kirk Cousins wants a starting job too. Yet, he’ll have to find one with another franchise.
His contract surely complicates things. Cousins has a $40 million cap hit for 2025, which is affordable for a Falcons team that has Penix on an affordable rookie contract.
Yet, with several teams still searching for a new starting quarterback, which ones make the most sense to trade for Cousins?
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the teams that make the most sense for a Cousins trade are the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans.
“In four weeks, we’ll all know whether one or more teams will still be looking for a starting quarterback. At this point, however, the universe seems to be fairly small. It consists of two possibilities: the Steelers and the Browns.
PFT’s Mike Florio on Kirk Cousins
The Titans possibly could join that mix, if they trade the first overall pick and don’t draft quarterback Cam Ward. (There’s still a chance that will happen, in part because the Titans in recent years have done some unconventional things.) For now, though, it’s Cleveland or Pittsburgh for Cousins.”
Florio says if the Steelers don’t sign Rodgers, then they could be “stuck” with Cousins. He adds that the Browns “make more sense than the Steelers” largely due to his ties to head coach Kevin Stefanski after spending two years together in Minnesota.
Yet, needing to keep costs low, Cousins’ contract can be restructured to where it only costs the Browns $6.5 million to have him as their starting QB in 2025.
The Browns, Steelers, and Titans all make varying levels of sense for Cousins. Really, any team that has an opening or even a competition to start should have some interest in the four-time Pro Bowl QB.
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