With the 2025 NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday in Green Bay, everybody waits to see if a big trade goes down. This time, there are some interesting names in the trade market, with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins as one of the more prominent ones.
Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last offseason, is set to be the QB2 if he stays in Atlanta. So, it's crystal clear that the Falcons are looking to move on from the veteran.
Just a day before the first round of the NFL Draft, insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic dropped some new tidbits regarding Cousins' trade outlook. He was named as one player who could be moved during the draft with Will Levis, Aidan O’Connell and Sam Howell as other QBs that might be garnering some interest.
Moreover, Russini also revealed three teams that could be in the running for Cousins.
The Browns, Steelers and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade. Minnesota is looked at as the least likely scenario, given its preference for J.J. McCarthy and that Cousins would need to sign off on any trade he is involved in. It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year. If a trade were to happen, I’d expect it to go down on Saturday.
So, Russini mentioned the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, both of which would likely be the best option for Cousins to take the QB1 position. On the other hand, a reunion with the Minnesota Vikings would be something, especially with him having to battle with JJ McCarthy for the starting spot.
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter reported recently that the Falcons "asked for any acquiring team to pay $20 million of the $45 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins' contract," so that could be a hangup in discussions.
With the NFL Draft approaching, it could be only a matter of time before the Falcons trade away Cousins and officially begin the Michael Penix Jr. era without the veteran behind him.
