The Atlanta Falcons have been embroiled in a Kirk Cousins saga since the end of the 2024 season. After naming Michael Penix Jr. as the franchise QB, the Falcons immediately put Cousins' future in Atlanta in jeopardy. The 36-year-old quarterback understandably doesn't want to be a backup at the dawn of his career, but the Falcons don't have a financial incentive to release him. That makes a trade the only viable path for Cousins to play elsewhere next season.
The odds of that happening seemed low earlier in free agency. After the latest QB signing, however, the Falcons may have landed on their feet.
Russell Wilson, arguably the best free agent remaining on the market, signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday. This immensely increases Atlanta's leverage in Kirk Cousins trade negotiations.
BREAKING: QB Russell Wilson signing with Giants on 1-year, $10.5M guaranteed deal with a chance to earn $21M.
— NFL (@NFL) March 25, 2025
(via @rapsheet, @tompelissero, @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/jVMotE8Z6H
The Russell Wilson sweepstakes were reportedly between the Giants and the Browns. Now that he is headed to New York, the Browns are left in a desperate situation at the most important position in football. They are currently in win-now mode after making Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. This will force their hand in trading for a veteran QB.
Enter Kirk Cousins. The Browns will almost certainly not find a better signal-caller for the immediate future. They have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft but Cam Ward will almost certainly not be available. Will they really roll the dice on rookie Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett for the immediate future?
This was exactly what the Falcons had been waiting for all along: for one QB-needy team to get desperate after striking out with their top targets. A Cousins trade that once seemed improbable now has a much better chance of getting to the finish line. Let's see if the Browns and Falcons can take it there.