Five offseason landing spots for Kirk Cousins after Falcons' decision to bench him
It has been a rough sequence for Kirk Cousins. He suffered a serious Achilles injury, returned, left the Minnesota Vikings, signed with the Atlanta Falcons, had his worst season as a starter in the NFL and finally got benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. Now, the most likely outcome is that Cousins will […]
It has been a rough sequence for Kirk Cousins. He suffered a serious Achilles injury, returned, left the Minnesota Vikings, signed with the Atlanta Falcons, had his worst season as a starter in the NFL and finally got benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Now, the most likely outcome is that Cousins will be traded in the offseason. The veteran quarterback has to agree to it, because he has a full no-trade clause, but he would probably be fine moving on to a new spot.
The acquiring team would pay Cousins $27.5 million in 2025, which is fully guaranteed. Beyond that, there would be only $10 million in future guarantees — the 2026 roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed on the 5th league day of 2025. Cousins is under contract through 2027, with $45 million in cash in each of 2026 and 2027.
Based on what Kirk Cousins played this year, it will be hard for anyone to be overly interested. But he has a track record of success and will be one extra year removed from his injury. A low draft compensation and a reasonable contract can make him an attractive veteran option.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have indicated they will keep the current management structure with general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski. And while it's impossible to cut Deshaun Watson, they need to add some kind of real competition.
The Browns are now projected to be $16.4 million over the 2025 cap space with a $272.5 million projection from Over the Cap. But Watson has a $72.935 million cap hit, and the Browns could open up $36.8 million by restructuring it with the addition of void years. That move alone would be enough to absorb Cousins' contract.
New York Giants
The management group with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll is clearly at risk, and the big reason for that was the contract extension they gave Daniel Jones last offseason. The quarterback is now gone, and there might not be enough time to develop a young quarterback for these people. They are in job preservation mode, and Kirk Cousins could be a decent option to keep things afloat for a year while they evaluate long-term options.
New York Jets
The Jets went all-in with Aaron Rodgers, so now there is not plan B. If the new GM/HC combo wants to go in a different direction, Cousins could function as a viable bridge quarterback. The best part is that, at this point of his career, the veteran QB knows he wouldn't preclude the Jets from drafting a quarterback early, which was pretty much the Atlanta Falcons' plan.
Tennessee Titans
The first year with Brian Callahan at head coach has been difficult for the Titans, but mostly because of the quarterback position. The idea was to see what they had in Will Levis, and now it's clear they will need another option. Kirk Cousins might be that, even if it's just a bridge option that would allow the coaching staff to get a better evaluation out of the rest of their roster.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders basically didn't have a QB plan in 2024. New general manager Tom Telesco treaded water with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell, but there needs to be a more serious option next year. The 2025 draft class is probably not great. However, the Raiders will certainly pick a player at the most important position anyway and see what they get later. Meanwhile, Cousins could be a helpful tool while the young player develops.
Falcons make seismic change that makes their controversial draft decision look much smarter
A big change in Atlanta.
