The Atlanta Falcons were aggressive last offseason to land veteran QB Kirk Cousins and signed the former Vikings signal caller to a four-year deal worth $180 million a little over a year ago.
Cousins was coming off an injury — and while he didn’t play terrible — he never looked quite right during his short stint as the Falcons starter. By the end of the 2024 season, the Falcons brass made it clear they were moving forward with Michael Penix. Jr. as their starting QB.
Cousins threw for 3,508 yards last season with 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and an 88.6 passer rating. His 16 interceptions were tied for the most in the NFL.
All offseason, the Atlanta Falcons have reportedly been looking for a trade partner for Cousins.
As CBS noted, Cousins still has three years remaining on his contract and the Falcons have $155 million left on the deal but can get out of it after 2026. Cousins has a guaranteed salary $27.5 million for 2025 and a prorated signing bonus of $12.5 million -- making his cap number $40 million.
Ahead of the NFL Draft, CBS noted the Falcons are reportedly asking for too much in a potential trade, including Cousins' next team paying off nearly half of the remaining guaranteed money in the deal. The veteran QB did show up for the start of Falcons' voluntary workouts this week.
With rumors swirling with less than 24 hours before the NFL Draft begins in Green Bay, Cousins has been linked to plenty of trade rumors as there are obvious teams looking to fill the void at QB.
Bleacher Report and other outlets have noted the Pittsburgh Steelers have heavily been linked to a potential trade with the Falcons for Cousins. That would make a whole lot of sense considering they currently don’t have a starting signal caller on the roster.
But BR predicts Cousins will return to the Minnesota Vikings, the team he left to play for the Falcons following the 2022 campaign.
Who says you can’t go home again?
Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings let Cousins walk after six seasons and 88 starts with the team. But with Sam Darnold now in Seattle and second-year pro J.J. McCarthy coming off a major knee injury, there has been some speculation that Minnesota might consider a reunion with Cousins.
The biggest sticking point, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is the same as with all the teams on this list—draft pick compensation and how much of Cousins’ remaining guarantees Minnesota might be willing to pick up.
“There is a feeling around the league that a team, whether it is the Vikings or Steelers, might be willing to pay down roughly $10 million,” he wrote. “How much any team would be willing to pay also would influence the compensation it gives up. The higher the payment, the lower the draft compensation; the lower the payment, the higher the draft compensation."
Sure, it could be awkward to see Cousins return to the Twin Cities. And it’s not known if the Vikes might view Cousins as a mentor to McCarthy or legitimate competition to start.
But the Vikings view themselves as contenders after winning 14 games last year. Entering the 2025 season with a completely unproven quarterback and no Plan B behind him is a risk.
