Kirk Cousins doesn’t have a future as a starting quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback is looking for a place to continue his NFL career. The NFL Draft is pivotal for Cousins to find his next home, as a team can’t pull off what happened to him last year.
Cousins signed his four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in March and Atlanta selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick a month later. He was benched for good in favor of Penix toward the end of his first season.
While Cousins still has three years remaining on his contract, the Falcons have $155 million left on the deal but can get out of it after 2026. Cousins has a guaranteed salary $27.5 million for 2025 and a prorated signing bonus of $12.5 million — making his cap number $40 million. A trade could be difficult to maneuver for the Falcons, but teams that need a veteran quarterback could take on Cousins’ contract and restructure the deal.
The Falcons are reportedly asking for too much in a potential Cousins deal, including Cousins’ next team paying off nearly half of the remaining guaranteed money in the deal. Cousins did show up for the start of Falcons’ voluntary workouts this week.
In Cousins’ final five starts last season, he completed 62.7% of his passes with just one touchdown to nine interceptions. The Falcons went 1-4 in those starts. Cousins threw for 3,508 yards last season with 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and an 88.6 passer rating. His 16 interceptions were tied for the league lead.
Even though Cousins struggled in the season coming off a ruptured Achilles, a change of scenery could be good for him — along with an opportunity to start again. With the draft two days away, here are some ideal landing spots for Cousins.
While the Steelers await for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, Cousins could certainly be a backup plan as a veteran mentor for a young quarterback. Pittsburgh is very likely to draft a quarterback in the early rounds of the draft, someone who could compete with Mason Rudolph for the starting job.
Even with a rookie quarterback, the Steelers have too many pass catchers to allow a rookie or Rudolph to start Week 1. Cousins may entertain the possibility of Pittsburgh if he feels a starting job is in his grasp, and one he can maintain for the entire 2025 season. He’ll still have to compete with a rookie for the job, but is the quality veteran quarterback the Steelers need in their quarterback room.
The Saints have the No. 9 pick in the draft, yet it’s uncertain if they will select a quarterback at that spot. The uncertainty of Derek Carr’s shoulder is a cause of concern as well, but would the Saints have two highly priced quarterbacks on their roster at the same time?
Cousins is notorious for getting rid of the ball quickly, which is beneficial for a Kellen Moore offense. He could be a bridge quarterback for a year for a rookie (assuming the Saints draft one in the early rounds) or until Carr returns. The Saints are a significant wild card in a potential Cousins pursuit, depending what their plans are at quarterback and if the front office wants to take on another bad contrat.
A reunion with head coach Kevin Stefanski is possible, even after the Browns acquired Kenny Pickett and signed Joe Flacco this offseason. Deshaun Watson is also still on the roster, meaning there may not be any room at the inn for Cousins.
The Browns were believed to be a team with a significant level of interest earlier this offseason, but taking on even 40% of the remaining guaranteed salary for Cousins isn’t feasible. Perhaps a lower asking price on Atlanta’s end could facilitate a trade to Cleveland.
Could Cousins actually return to Minnesota just one year after he left for Atlanta in free agency? The Vikings are clearly seeking a veteran quarterback after Sam Darnold’s departure in case J.J. McCarthy isn’t ready to start the season. This is where Cousins comes in.
Not only does Cousins know Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and thrived in it during his two seasons with him, but he fits the mold of the quality starter the Vikings are looking for. Cousins’ relationship with Justin Jefferson will help his case if he wishes to return to the Vikings.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has long been in favor of Cousins, but has yet to land him. Would he take Cousins with his value being so low? This all depends on the Brock Purdy contract negotiations and the 49ers’ willingness to have a veteran quarterback behind Purdy. Keep in mind the 49ers did sign Mac Jones this offseason as well.
While a Cousins-Shanahan pairing could be interesting, Cousins would be (at best) the No. 2 quarterback in San Francisco to start. This doesn’t make the 49ers a suitable candidate at the moment, but hard to rule out the possibility.
