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NFL insider reveals Atlanta Falcons’ new plan with Kirk Cousins
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- NFL insider reveals Atlanta Falcons’ new plan with Kirk Cousins
Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Before Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers , there was some hope that they could come calling for Kirk Cousins instead. Yet, now that door has been slammed shut, as the Steelers' quarterback room is fully stocked with Rodgers, Mason Rudolph , Will Howard , and Skylar Thompson .
So, what will the Atlanta Falcons do with Cousins now? The Cleveland Browns may not have a defined starting quarterback yet, but like the Steelers, their QB cupboard is full of all sorts of different flavors. You have the veteran, yet still highly-capable former Super Bowl winner in Joe Flacco , a former first-round QB with upside in Kenny Pickett , plus two exciting rookies in third-rounder Dillon Gabriel plus fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders .
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The New Orleans Saints don't have an announced starter either. However, they're also division rivals with the Falcons, making a trade extremely unlikely, especially because Cousins has a strong familiarity with Atlanta's offense.
In other words, as ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reports, the Falcons' trade market for Cousins has dried up. Their best remaining option is playing the waiting game, seeing if another team's starter goes down with injury as we've commonly seen throughout training camps and preseason play.
"Atlanta hasn't really shown a willingness to trade Cousins much as one source told me that, 'If they were willing to take maybe $7 million or $8 million on an offset from another team two months ago, this could've gotten done. But now Cleveland has a bunch of quarterbacks in its room. Pittsburgh has Rodgers. The New Orleans Saints are the only team who could have any sort of opening but they're probably not going to trade in the division. So, maybe Atlanta holds onto him through training camp, sees if there's any sort of injury."
While it's hard to see a landing spot for Cousins right now, the Falcons' plan could still work. Even with the NFL's new rules slanted toward protecting quarterbacks, they still get injured often. Sometimes that spurs a trade for someone itching to play. This time, it could result in a four-time Pro Bowler getting traded.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: See where Michael Penix lands
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