The Atlanta Falcons took the slow approach in free agency due to their lack of funds to spend. They used the 2025 draft as the outlet to bring in some exciting players to the defensive side of the ball.
One of the biggest reasons the Falcons couldn't be active on the open market is due to the huge contract of quarterback Kirk Cousins. With Michael Penix Jr. the future at the position, Cousins has been pushed to the bench.
The Falcons have put him on the trade block, but it's more difficult to get a deal done since he has a no-trade clause. And he used that to his advantage and Atlanta's detriment.
In an article written by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, he wrote, "After the first wave of free agency passed, and the guarantee vested, Cousins got word out to teams that he would use his no-trade clause to block any trade until after the draft, because he wanted to avoid another situation like the one he was in last year, when the Falcons drafted Penix No. 8 less than two months after signing Cousins."
Kirk Cousins Threw a Wrench in Falcons Trade Plans
On March 15, Cousins got $10 million guaranteed from Atlanta for the 2025 season. Those funds, in addition to the no-trade clause, make it difficult for the team to move on.
Cousins has bad memories of what the Falcons did to him last year when they took Penix Jr., and he refuses to go down that pathway again. But that doesn't benefit Atlanta.
If he didn't have that in his deal, the odds are he would have been dealt already. The NFL draft was the last major event for the Falcons to find a trade partner, but since Cousins let teams know he would use his no-trade clause to block any potential deal is eye-opening.
The options around the league are scarce, so at this point, the Falcons may have to wait to see if a quarterback goes down with an injury this summer and float Cousins as his replacement. Until then, it looks like Cousins will block any deal if he doesn't think he'll get a chance to start in 2025.