Browns Get Bad News on Kirk Cousins Trade Talks

The Cleveland Browns remain closely monitoring Kirk Cousins‘ situation with the Atlanta Falcons, but they may need to sweeten their offer to get a deal done.

The Falcons are willing to play hardball regarding Cousins, who recently earned a $10 million roster bonus due in 2026. Atlanta is set to move forward with Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback and said they are comfortable with Cousins being a high-priced backup.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Falcons are willing to wait out the situation unless they get a trade offer they can’t refuse.

“I continue to hear that the Falcons are not overly motivated to move Kirk Cousins right now,” Fowler said during a Sunday appearance on SportsCenter. “They’re willing to be patient. As one team source told me, ‘What’s the rush? We’ve already locked into $37.5 million in additional guarantees for 2025 moving forward.’ And so, they’re going to kind of feel this out.

“It might be two months, it might be two weeks, it might be six months, they haven’t made that sort of firm determination as far as how long it’ll be in a Falcons uniform. But the sense I get from teams is that it simply would just take a big financial package, because they need a lot of money to try to offset that $37 million. They need somebody to step in.”

Browns Have Glaring Need at Quarterback

Cousins is at the top of the Browns’ list for veteran quarterback options. Cleveland recently traded for Kenny Pickett and hosted Russell Wilson for a visit, signaling their ongoing search for depth at the position.

However, acquiring Cousins won’t be easy. The Falcons seek a significant financial package in any potential deal, and the Browns are in a tough spot due to Deshaun Watson’s massive $230 million fully guaranteed contract.

“Cleveland has scoured the Earth for quarterback help, we know that,” Fowler said. “They have familiarity with Kevin Stefanski, the head coach, a former coordinator for Kirk Cousins himself. Cleveland is still a team to watch until they fill that void at that spot, but they don’t have a lot of money to spend. That’s part of the issue.”

The Browns also hold the No. 2 overall pick and appear likely to select a passer in that spot. The top options are Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.

Veteran Options Limited for Browns at QB

Some of the top veteran options have come off the board in free agency, limiting what the Browns can do as they look to reimagine their quarterback position. Pickett was a good start but the Browns are still expected to look for another veteran option.

A name that has surfaced recently is Joe Flacco, who spent some time in Cleveland during the 2023 season. Flacco had some success with the Browns, going 4-1 in five regular-season starts. He passed 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Flacco helped the Browns lock in a playoff berth and won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently reported that Flacco is “in play” as an option for the Steelers, Browns and Vikings.

There are many veteran quarterback dominoes to fall into place, including Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. In the coming weeks, the Browns will get a clearer picture of what the future might hold at quarterback.