After months of confusion from the public about the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback room, maybe drafting Michael Penix Jr. was the right move after all. But now, what about Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins Looking for a Home…Again
When Cousins first signed his four-year, $180 million contract, it felt like he would finish his career as a Falcon.
However, Atlanta used the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Penix, inviting speculation about Cousins’ long-term fit on the roster.
While trading Cousins would be the Falcons’ best bet, the veteran quarterback has a full no-trade clause. Now that the team has benched him, things will get interesting. If they do trade him, they would carry a dead cap number of $37.5M in 2025 but save $27.5M in cash and $2.5M in cap.
The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback was 7-7 as a starter, throwing for 3,508 yards and a league-high 16 interceptions. His 88.6 QBR was the worst of any season in his career since he became a starting quarterback in the league.
With Atlanta in the heat of a divisional race, they decided to turn to Penix to bring a spark to take this offense to the next level.
With that move, there is no need for a $180 million backup, so Atlanta cutting their losses to get something for him makes sense if they like what they see from Penix.
The next part is trying to find a trade partner, as cutting Cousins would be far from ideal for the team’s financial flexibility going forward.
Atlanta has essentially zero incentive to cut Cousins before 2026 since his 2025 salary is already fully guaranteed. If they do decide to release Cousins, they will carry a dead cap hit of $65 million in 2025, the largest in NFL history.
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler opined that Cousins could be “manna from heaven” for Cleveland.
LOADED This is Football Friday with @JFowlerESPN. Coaching hot seat/search updates and QB movement.
Cousins to Cleveland?
Is Stafford set up to leave LA?Jeremy had a lot of info in this episode. Watch: pic.twitter.com/3b4ouJ36SN
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) December 27, 2024
With the Browns on the hook for the Deshaun Watson contract, the financial situation could be “Russell Wilson all over again,” Fowler states, also calling this move a “slam dunk” for Cleveland.
But how does he fit on the field?
Reunited, and It Feels So Good
While there is no doubt that Cousins would have liked for this year to have gone differently, it always suits a player to be in a system that is built for their play style.
Cousins left Washington for Minnesota in 2018, where current Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was the quarterbacks coach and became the team’s offensive coordinator the next year.
Cousins had success in Stefanski’s system. In 15 games in 2019, he threw for 3,603 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also had a career-high 107.7 QBR, a career-low six interceptions, and led the Vikings to a 10-5 record in the games he started.
Cousins represented the NFC in the Pro Bowl that season as well.
For a franchise known for never having a quarterback they could truly rely on, Jameis Winston’s passion and love for the game were a sight for sore eyes. But his play on the field has inspired less excitement, as he has been benched to close the season out.
This move seems like a good fit if they can minimize the amount needed to invest in Cousins. Russell Wilson’s resurgence with the Steelers will be a driving force for the Browns to follow suit and get their guy.
