It’s pretty clear who the Atlanta Falcons want to be their franchise quarterback. Even though they signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $160 million contract, the Falcons later invested even more into the quarterback position by selecting Michael Penix Jr with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’s obvious that the Falcons prefer to move forward with Penix as their starter after benching Cousins for the final three starts of the season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Falcons are ready to move on from the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback either.
NFL insider believes Atlanta Falcons should trade Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins would love to be traded from the Atlanta Falcons so he can pursue a playing opportunity elsewhere. He does have a no-trade clause, but the Falcons have so far been unwilling to deal the soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback.
Cousins is set to play out the 2025 season as the Falcons’ backup quarterback, yet one NFL analyst, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, believes it’s time for Atlanta to trade the 13-year-veteran.
“The Falcons should trade Kirk Cousins. We’ve arrived at a checkpoint in this game of Peachtree Pickle that the quarterback is playing with Atlanta management. I think everyone knows, deep down, that the best thing for everyone would be for Atlanta to get some sort of return on their investment via a trade of Cousins, and for the 36-year-old to get a shot to play somewhere else. The trouble is—and owners can get involved in these things sometimes—where the Falcons put themselves Sunday with that guarantee vesting, so the team no longer has any financial benefit to cut Cousins loose.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Kirk Cousins/Atlanta Falcons
Breer still believes the “ideal scenario” for Cousins is to end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, or possibly even the Tennessee Titans as a veteran sounding board for projected incoming rookie Cam Ward if he becomes the first overall pick.
