Fresh Kirk Cousins Rumor Suddenly Surfaces
For the first time since the 2024 offseason, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will be free to sign anywhere in the NFL after a tumultuous two-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons. And if you believe the latest rumor mill smoke, Cousins could land with the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona just entered the picture for Cousins.
NBS Sports‘ Mike Florio banged the drum on Cousins to Arizona on Tuesday, and the pairing actually makes sense.
One NFC Team May Offer Cousins His Cleanest Path Back
Cousins will turn 38 this summer.
Florio: Cousins to ARI Makes Sense
After hinting for a week that they would release Kyler Murray and following Monday’s free-agent acquisition of Gardner Minshew, the Cardinals appear to be heading into 2026 with a terrible quarterback plan: Jacoby Brissett and Minshew. There is also no sure-fire quarterback prospect in April’s draft after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
So, Florio thinks Cousins could end up in the desert.
“Brissett is generally expected to be gone. Minshew surely isn’t expected to be the starter. So what will the Cardinals do? The answer could be Kirk Cousins. New coach Mike LaFleur comes from the McVay-Shanahan hive. And they love them some Kirk Cousins. He will be cut on Wednesday. He will be available to any team,” Florio explained.
“And as LaFleur tries to install his offense, he’ll want a quarterback who can run it. It would be interesting to see Cousins in the same division as McVay and Shanahan, playing both of them twice per year. Cousins needs a landing spot. He needs a place where he’ll be the starter.”
In other news, most NFL pundits expect the aforementioned Murray to sign with the Vikings.
Florio continued, “In Arizona, he would be. Money will be an issue. Cousins has perfected the art of getting paid. He’ll command more than the $10 million the Falcons owe him for 2026. Look around. Where else would he be QB1? While the Steelers would be wise to drop the Aaron Rodgers torch and pivot to Cousins, they apparently won’t.”
“The Jets are a possibility, especially with Cousins emerging as a potential media presence. Still, the Cardinals have a clear vacancy at the top of the depth chart. Cousins would be an obvious choice to fill it.”
Jot Arizona down as a possible Cousins landing spot.
Where Else if Not ARI?
Florio offered the Jets and Steelers as other theoretical destinations for Cousins. Those check out. Here’s the full list if a) Cousins wants a puncher’s chance at a starting job in 2026 b) he doesn’t fulfill the Cardinals prediction:
- Cleveland Browns
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Minnesota Vikings
- New York Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s also worth noting that the San Francisco 49ers could be a dark horse. For example, general manager John Lynch could trade Mac Jones to the Jets for a 2nd-Round pick (or something similar), and Lynch could turn around and sign Cousins for cheap. Everyone wins, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has never been shy about professing his ardor for Cousins’s toolkit.
A Summer Mercenary?
Cousins could also procrastinate in his decision-making. Every year, at least one prominent starting quarterback falls injured in the summer or before October. If he’s patient, he could wait and become the knight-in-shining-armor option for a quarterback-needy team.
For instance, in 2025, Cousins probably would’ve excelled with the Indianapolis Colts or Cincinnati Bengals when they lost their starting quarterbacks.
He’d avoid training camp and be perceived as a team’s savior.
Cousins’s Forgettable 2025 Campaign
The nature of Cousins’s next contract is unclear. Having earned approximately $100 million guaranteed in Atlanta over the last two years, many speculate he might accept a league-minimum deal, while others believe he will seek another substantial contract elsewhere. If one thing is a given regarding Cousins, it’s his fiendish desire to maximize his wallet.
Performance-wise, his limited mobility is another key factor. Although Cousins was once more mobile, especially during his time in Washington and early in his Vikings tenure after signing in 2018, he has since evolved into a pure pocket passer. Nothing more. His occasional scrambles with the Vikings felt more like exceptions rather than intentional plays down the stretch of his tenure. In Atlanta last sesaon, he mirrored a statue in the pocket.
If Cousins were to return to Minnesota, for example, the offense would need to provide strong pass protection, given his virtually nonexistent mobility at 38 years old. This contrasts sharply with Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose 2025 highlights often featured his ability to improvise and throw on the run when plays break down.
Finally, Cousins’s 2025 performance raises concerns. Despite playing alongside Bijan Robinson — the NFL’s best running back at the moment, with few disputing it — the Falcons’ offense struggled, and Cousins ranked poorly in EPA+CPOE (30th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks).
Yes, Cousins’s next team must ask itself if it wants one of the league’s worst quarterbacks from the year prior, who also doesn’t move much.
Per Florio, LaFleur’s Cardinals might be desperate enough to pounce.
You must be logged in to post a comment.