The 2025 season is fast approaching and somehow, Kirk Cousins is still with the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins’ time in Atlanta appeared to be over when he was benched for Michael Penix Jr. last December, but he survived the offseason even as he passed a deadline for a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 last March.
Whether it was the Falcons wanting a team to take on Cousins’s contract or Cousins’s insistence to wait until after the draft, a deal hasn’t been made. Because of this, most teams have filled up their starting quarterback vacancies for next season and the 36-year-old has limited options when considering his next team.
It gives the Falcons a few trade partners as the calendar turns to May and it could be enough to strike a deal if a quarterback-hungry team is ready to make the move.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most obvious name on the list. The Steelers spent most of this offseason jump-starting their offense by trading for DK Metcalf and selecting Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the draft. But their efforts will go unrewarded if they don’t upgrade on Mason Rudolph, Will Howard or Skylar Thompson at quarterback.
It resulted in Aaron Rodgers holding the team hostage, but what if he says no or decides to retire? Then Cousins is the Steelers’ best option.
Cousins has limitations at this stage of his career but he can be a stabilizing presence at quarterback. With George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth still on the roster, Cousins can get the ball where it’s supposed to go and make the most out of what’s around him. It makes it worth using some of the $31.6 million the Steelers have in cap space entering this year to acquire Cousins and give the Falcons an easy target to focus on.
2. New Orleans Saints
Like the Steelers, the New Orleans Saints could be an easy team to prey on. The Saints are in a weird spot where they want to win now but quarterback Derek Carr could miss most of next season with a shoulder injury. The Saints selected Tyler Shough in the second round of the draft, but at age 25 (and set to turn 26 in September), it’s fair to wonder how much upside he has.
Dealing Cousins to a divisional opponent is a risky move and Cousins would love the chance to stick it to the Falcons twice a year. But the Saints could be one of the few teams that the Falcons could hold over a barrel. They’re currently wrapping up the final years of Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan’s careers and they have a veteran roster with a team that’s not afraid to kick the can down the road and shovel money into the future.
Helping a rival doesn’t sound like a wise idea, but it may be worth it in this situation.
3. Cleveland Browns
This option seems like it has passed the Falcons by. The Browns have thrown a bunch of darts at the wall to solve their quarterback problem. After trading for Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles, they signed Joe Flacco to a one-year deal in free agency. They took Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the draft and came back to save Shedeur Sanders from his draft day plunge on Day 3.
With four quarterbacks in the room (excluding the injured Deshaun Watson), it feels like there isn’t any room for Cousins. But what if none of these options pan out.
Cousins will have a careful eye on quarterback situations across the league since he has a no-trade clause. If none of the four options are suitable for next season, the Browns could get on the phone and make a panic trade with the jobs of general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski on the line.
It’s an idea that could have the Falcons practicing voodoo in the front office, but it may be their best bet to get rid of Cousins if another desperate team doesn’t bite.