The NFL Draft has come and gone and Kirk Cousins is still a member of the Atlanta Falcons. No matter what the Falcons have done this offseason, it’s been overshadowed by general manager Terry Fontenot’s biggest mistake, handing Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason.
Cousins’s decline has caused an obvious end to that partnership after one season. But Fontenot can’t let go, holding out for a better trade offer and putting the franchise in neutral as Michael Penix Jr. takes over as the starting quarterback.
A new development may finally put an end to the offseason drama, however, and it appears Atlanta could have some teams lined up to rid them of their biggest problem.
Falcons Say They’re Having Discussions With Other Teams About Kirk Cousins Trade
Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi that the team is "constantly having discussions with other teams" about a potential Kirk Cousins trade. Smith also added that “they love Kirk and love having him” but they could also make a trade “if something makes sense.”
One would argue that it would make plenty of sense to move Cousins. The 36-year-old started 14 games for Atlanta and led them to a 6-3 start before losing four of his next five games before being benched for Penix in December. While he completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns he also threw a league-high 16 interceptions including nine over his last five starts.
While Cousins’s benching indicated the Falcons were throwing in the towel, they’ve stubbornly held on. Cousins’ $10 million roster bonus for 2026 kicked in back in March and a recent rumor said the Falcons were looking for a team to take on $20 million in guaranteed money to facilitate a trade. Fontenot denied that rumor but if a team was willing to give up something notable, a deal probably would have been done already.
At this point, the Falcons are running out of suitors. The Cleveland Browns loaded up their quarterback room with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders over the weekend. The Minnesota Vikings plugged their backup quarterback hole by trading with the Seattle Seahawks for Sam Howell. The Falcons best bet may be to hope Aaron Rodgers turns down the Pittsburgh Steelers but they could have reservations even with $31.3 million in cap space.
It may be in the best interest to go through training camp and hope for another option to open up. But it appears Cousins is set to continue in Atlanta for now.