The Falcons are shaping up to be one of the more intriguing teams to watch as training camp quickly approaches. This week has already brought some drama, thanks to Netflix’s Quarterback series, which revealed how Kirk Cousins truly feels about his situation—particularly that he wouldn’t have signed with Atlanta if he had known the team was drafting Michael Penix Jr.
“Certainly, if I had that information around free agency, it would've affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota, with how much we loved it there, if both teams were going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I've also learned in 12 years in this league that you're not entitled to anything — it's all about earning your spot and proving yourself,” Cousins said.
There’s also a growing belief that Cousins never fully trusted that his starting job was safe. He turned out to be right, as he was benched during the latter half of the season. With the Falcons now reportedly trying to move on from his contract, For The Win’s Cory Woodroof has proposed a trade sending Cousins to the Browns.
“We have a feeling the Browns might find themselves in an awkward spot during training camp with their quarterback room. Neither Joe Flacco nor Kenny Pickett inspires a ton of confidence as a 17-game starter, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders feel destined to sit on the bench for a year. If Cleveland is serious about winning in 2025, swinging a trade for Cousins is the clearest path,” Woodroof wrote. “Cleveland could send one of its veteran quarterbacks (Kenny Pickett?) back to the Falcons to back up Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta could also try and get a run-stuffing defensive tackle as part of the deal as opposed to a draft pick.”
The defensive tackle Cleveland would send is Shelby Harris—a player the Falcons would welcome as a veteran presence to mentor young talents like Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Atlanta made it a point this offseason to fix its pass rush, and adding Harris would only strengthen that effort. His leadership and experience would be a valuable asset in helping the younger players prepare for the season ahead.
