Kirk Cousins’ future with the Atlanta Falcons hangs in the balance as the team benched the veteran quarterback in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement this week.
“This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
This surprising move has sparked speculation about potential trade destinations for Cousins in the upcoming offseason.
Several NFL teams with quarterback needs could be interested in acquiring the experienced signal-caller. After Trevor Lawrence’s trade, Cousins will likely be the next domino to drop.
The Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans are among the teams that might consider trading for Cousins.
Cincinnati Bengals Trade Ja’Marr Chase To AFC Rival In Blockbuster NFL Trade Proposal: https://t.co/g52qkcseLZ
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 18, 2024
Each of these franchises faces uncertainty at the quarterback position and could view Cousins as a stabilizing presence. The Minnesota Vikings, Cousins’ former team, have also been mentioned as a possible landing spot, though their current success without him may make such a reunion unlikely.
There is also a financial motivator for the Falcons to trade Cousins.
If the team opted to cut him ahead of the 2025 season, they would be hit with $65 million in dead money. Alternatively, if they were to cut him after the 2025 season, their dead cap charge would be reduced to $35 million.
A trade, meanwhile, would make these numbers a little more palatable. If the Falcons dealt Cousins, they would have to pay his $27.5 million base salary for 2025. From there, Atlanta would still have a $37.5 million charge for a trade.
This situation is eerily similar to what the Denver Broncos were dealing with just a year ago – and things actually turned out quite well for them in 2024. And frankly, they turned out well for Russell Wilson, too. Maybe a similar win-win scenario could be found here.
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
