The 2025 NFL Draft is days away, and that means it’s open season for quarterback speculation. While most eyes are on Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and the incoming crop of rookies, a few veteran names continue to garner speculation, including Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins.
A surprise scenario floated by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is a potential reunion between Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings, casually throwing out the idea that the Vikings might want their old QB back. Whether it’s just pre-draft smoke or something with legs, the timing is interesting — and it’s not the only team being linked to Cousins in recent days.
Could Minnesota Vikings Really Call Atlanta Falcons About Kirk Cousins?
In his pre-draft column, Breer wrote: “I’ll be interested to see how the Minnesota Vikings fill out their quarterback depth chart. Could they make a call to the Atlanta Falcons about getting Kirk Cousins back?” It was a passing thought, but in this part of the NFL calendar, even throwaway lines can spark real conversation.
Cousins is no longer Atlanta’s quarterback of the future — or even their QB1. That title now belongs to Michael Penix Jr., the second-year QB whom the Falcons shocked the league by drafting eighth overall in 2024. The move blindsided cousins, and according to Breer, that’s still very much affecting his mindset.
While there’s been no official trade request, it’s clear Cousins wants out of Atlanta. He holds a no-trade clause, giving him the power to choose where he lands. “Why would Cousins block a trade to a place where he can start?” Breer wrote in March. “My understanding is it would be chiefly to avoid the situation he found himself in last April, when he was blindsided by Atlanta’s decision to take Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick.”
That’s why Cousins is “slow-playing” his next move. Breer added, “Cousins has already signaled to teams that he would likely want to wait to see what happens over draft weekend before accepting a trade. In a way, that should also work for the teams, allowing them to go through a full draft process — and make decisions on guys such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart independent of Cousins’s destination.”
Essentially, Cousins wants clarity. If a team like Minnesota — or even Pittsburgh, which has been mentioned as a possible landing spot if Rodgers doesn’t end up there — fails to land a quarterback in the draft, Cousins becomes a much more attractive option. And with his contract situation giving him leverage, he’s in a position to wait for the right fit rather than rush into another murky situation.
As for Atlanta, what they could get back in a deal is still unclear. But if the right team strikes out on a top prospect this week, Cousins’ value might jump. And just like that, a post-draft trade could be very much back on the table.