The Atlanta Falcons-Kirk Cousins drama doesn't look like it will subside anytime soon. The team is insisting on their stated desire to have the 36-year-old as their backup quarterback for next season. Cousins' camp wants out of Atlanta, but the Falcons don't have a financial incentive to release him. That leaves a trade as the only viable option for both sides.
For that to happen, however, both sides will have to let things get a little more uncomfortable. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed Cousins' plans that will indeed put pressure on the Falcons.
"Cousins doesn’t plan on showing for the offseason program (he may show for mandatory minicamp to avoid taking the fines). So camp is when things could get more uncomfortable."Albert Breer, SI
Breer reported that Cousins has no intention of showing up for the offseason program, even if he attends the mandatory minicamp. At that point, the Falcons will be quickly losing any leverage they may have had in trade negotiations.
The NFL insider then brings up the Jimmy Garoppolo saga from the summer of 2022, suggesting this could be a similar situation. At the time, the 49ers had shopped Jimmy G all offseason. After failing to move him, they agreed on a restructured new contract to keep him in San Francisco for another year.
The Falcons are certainly taking a risk here, even if it's not a financial one. They are banking on the idea that at least one team will get desperate on the QB market after they strike out with their top choices or an injury hits before the season. They are willing to be embroiled in this drama and piss Cousins off in the meantime. If they are right and are able to move Cousins before the season, they will likely be left without a viable backup QB.
GM Terry Fontenot has a difficult decision to make, and how uncomfortable he is willing to get will determine how the Kirk Cousins saga gets resolved.