Kirk Cousins’ Strange Odyssey Continues
Kirk Cousins quarterbacked the Minnesota Vikings for six seasons, left in March 2024, and survived for 14 games with his new team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Kirk Cousins’ Strange Odyssey Continues
Cousins struggled in the middle of the Falcons’ 2024 campaign, so much so that Atlanta benched him for rookie passer Michael Penix Jr., who it shockingly selected during the 2024 NFL Draft.
And when the 2025 offseason began, most believed Cousins would be released, clearing the way for Penix Jr. to establish a firm grip — free of distractions — on the QB1 job, but Atlanta made no such maneuver.
He’s lived awkwardly on the Falcons’ roster for the last few months, now the target of trade talks, with a deal possibly on the horizon this week during the draft.
So, what did Cousins do in the face of trade talks? He showed up at Atlanta’s voluntary offseason program.
Kirk Cousins Shows Up at Falcons’ Voluntary Program
WSB’s Zach Klein tweeted Tuesday, “Per NFL League source … On this very first day of Falcons voluntary workouts .… Quarterback Kirk Cousins is with the team.”
NFL Network‘s Mike Garafolo added context, “Falcons QB Kirk Cousins was in the building for the start of offseason workouts today, as Zach Klein posted. Surprised even some in the building. But he’s there, as his immediate future remains to be determined.”
Most NFL players utterly swirling inside the trade rumor mill would say, “Hell no,” to a voluntary workout session. But not Cousins.
He’s there, against all odds.
Falcons Sign QB Easton Stick
The day before, AtlantaFalcons.com’s Terrin Waack wrote, “The Atlanta Falcons signed quarterback Easton Stick, the organization announced Monday. Stick comes to Atlanta from the Los Angeles Chargers, with whom he had spent his entire career until now. The Chargers drafted Stick in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft after he culminated his career at North Dakota State with a 49-3 record, becoming the winningest quarterback in FCS history.”
“He played in one game for the Chargers in 2020, completing his sole pass attempt for 4 yards. He then played in five games and made four starts in 2023 while Justin Herbert was on injured reserve. Stick completed 63.8% of his passes for 1,129 yards — good for an average of 226 yards per game — with three touchdowns and an interception.”
Onlookers interpreted the move as a precursor to a Cousins trade, making his appearance at the workout program all the more strange.
Waack added, “The Falcons have their starting quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., who was selected by Atlanta with the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft, a backup veteran in Kirk Cousins and Emory Jones as third on the depth chart.”
Cousins as Trade Material in the Draft
Because it doesn’t make much sense for Cousins and his $40 million cap number in 2025 to sit on the bench behind Penix Jr., he’s a common trade target for teams that might strike out in the draft at quarterback.
Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart are tentatively expected to fly off the board in Round 1 on Thursday, with players like Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough, and Quinn Ewers to follow on Friday or Saturday.
In theory, if a quarterback-needy team strikes out on those names, well, it could call Atlanta and do trade business for Cousins, who should be obtainable for a 5th- or 6th-Round pick.
Where He Might Land via Trade?
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and even the Vikings have been rumored as landing spots for the 36-year-old.
CBS Sports‘ Jordan Dajani wrote this week, “The Cleveland Browns have long been viewed as the favorite to trade for Cousins, since they have a clear need at quarterback while Cousins has familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski, but what happens in the 2025 NFL Draft could shake up Cousins’ market drastically. ESPN reports that there is a feeling around the league a team like the Minnesota Vikings or Pittsburgh Steelers may be willing to pay down $10 million instead of $20 million.”
“How much Atlanta agrees to pay Cousins will also affect trade compensation. The more Cousins’ new team pays in salary, the lower the compensation will be.”
Minnesota, generally speaking, is an unlikely fit because it doesn’t have the budget to accommodate Cousins’ meaty cap hits in 2025, 2026, and 2027. A trade for Cousins would also represent backward thinking for an otherwise progressive purple leadership regime.
Falcons on Tap to Eat Dead Money
If Atlanta trades Cousins later this week, it will eat over $37 million in dead cap space. It cannot wiggle away from the penalty (unless the trade partner bails it out), which is the cost of doing business for paying Cousins a $180 million contract over four years while drafting Penix Jr. six weeks later.
Cousins will turn 37 in August. It’s pretty classic Cousins behavior to crash a voluntary workout while thick in the trade rumor mill. The eternal nice guy.
A 3rd Vikings QB Is on the Way
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