The Atlanta Falcons' final hope of trading Kirk Cousins is now gone after the Pittsburgh Steelers officially made Aaron Rodgers their 2025 quarterback. An amusing side note of this is the duo of former head coach Arthur Smith and Rodgers. Mixing these egos together is likely going to have hilarious results. However, aside from the free entertainment, it does signal that Kirk Cousins is likely to stay in Atlanta. With Rodgers signing with the Steelers, there simply isn't a starting job up for grabs. Cousins now has a simple decision to make.
Atlanta's backup quarterback must stop playing games and accept his role, or come to the table and be willing to alter his deal. Right now, the Falcons have zero reason to make any changes. Dumping Kirk helps the team less than retaining the possible trade chip and having insurance behind Michael Penix Jr. The new franchise quarterback has an extensive college injury history, demanding some level of stability behind him.
Kirk Cousins' Final Hope of a Starting Role Is Gone After Aaron Rodgers Signing
One could argue Cousins doesn't offer this after imploding at the end of the 2024 season. This was promptly followed by the veteran throwing his team and head coach under the bus by revealing a hidden injury. Whether it was a true injury or an excuse for the poor level of play is up for debate.
What isn't is the fact that the Atlanta quarterback is completely out of moves. This should signal the Falcons are either going to win the standoff or the Cousins' camp is going to be willing to rework his deal. However, with Rodgers now signed, there doesn't appear to be one open job that the veteran could land.
Anthony Richardson's injury concerns could open a surprise opportunity, depending on how seriously the Colts consider the concern. The point remains that the Atlanta quarterback has truly limited options and likely is stuck in Atlanta unless there is a surprise injury. Rodgers following through with the Steelers took away all of Cousins' leverage and completely changed the discussion about what the team will do moving forward.