Kirk Cousins‘ time with the Atlanta Falcons is going to be shortlived, despite signing a four-year, $180 million contract less than a year ago. As the 2024 campaign winded down, head coach Raheem Morris handed the keys to the offense to first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr., thus sending Cousins to the bench and effectively ending his time with the franchise.
“I definitely still feel like I have a lot of good football left in me,” Cousins told NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Tuesday when asked about his future. “Time will tell. Still kind of uncertain. We’ll get to March and know a lot more.
“I think the focus for me really is getting healthy. That’s really my focus cause I got to get healthy. I’m no good to the Falcons, I’m no good to a team if I’m not feeling really good. That’s really where my focus has been through January and February, now that the season has wound down just taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good.”
Cousins, who was coming back from a torn Achilles in 2023, admitted that he wasn’t 100% at the tail end of the season after taking a hit against the Saints that impacted his right shoulder and elbow.
“It was something I was working through and just never could really get it to where I wanted it,” Cousins said of the injury. “Now that the season’s over, we have the time and the energy to say, ‘Ok, let’s get the right ankle back. Let’s get the shoulder back, get the elbow back.’ If we can do that, I’ll feel like I got a new life ahead of me here in pro football.”
As for where that new life may take him, Cousins, who has a no-trade clause, will likely be moved this offseason as the Falcons continue their pivot to Penix. Where could he end up? Let’s look at some logical landing spots courtesy of CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.
Geno Smith has given Seattle several years of gutsy gunslinging, but he’s also seen his efficiency dip in each season as the starter and is owed $38.5 million in 2025; the Seahawks could cut or trade him to save $25 million, possibly making Cousins a drastically more affordable alternative. With a well-stocked backfield, two top-tier pass catchers in DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, plus Mike Macdonald’s restored defense, they could be right back in the playoff mix with a competent arm and more fortified front. Cousins would surely sign up; the question is whether Seattle would as well.
First-year coach Brian Callahan benched reckless young starter Will Levis, signaling he’s ready for more of a sure thing under center. The Titans may prefer to secure their next face of the franchise at the top of the 2025 draft, currently owning the No. 1 overall pick, but if they want to bring in a non-QB prospect, Cousins could come cheap if Atlanta is paying most of his 2025 salary. They’ve got additional money to spend to upgrade the line, and veteran weapons like Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley could appeal to Cousins inside what’s been one of the league’s most winnable divisions.
Current starter Derek Carr is all but a lock to exit, as New Orleans can save up to $30 million by designating him a post-June 1 release following two gutsy but ultimately underwhelming, injury-riddled seasons together. It seems implausible the Saints would then pivot to another aging, ailing placeholder, but they’ve also had a recurring issue with committing to a rebuild. Worse yet, they may or may not be in striking distance of a top prospect in the draft. In a winnable division, with veteran playmakers like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, might their next coach prefer a short-term, high-floor quarterback to start?
The whole point of drafting Anthony Richardson No. 3 overall in 2023 was to break their own cycle of war-weary retreads under center. Everyone in that building still remembers the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan and Gardner Minshew experience. And yet, can they possibly enter 2025, Year 3 of the Shane Steichen era, with the ultra-athletic but ultra-unreliable Richardson as the unquestioned starter? With plenty of cap room in a winnable division, plus enticing pieces like Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs, would it hurt to lure Cousins as Russell Wilson-esque camp competition?
San Francisco might be Cousins’ ideal next — and final — stop, but the Kyle Shanahan ship has probably sailed, with Brock Purdy offering the same level of system understanding and much more mobility. The consolation prize could be a reunion with Kevin Stefanski, who was the Vikings offensive coordinator during Cousins’ first two years in Minnesota. Stefanski needs stability like no under, with polarizing starter Deshaun Watson saddled to Achilles rehab for the foreseeable future. With Jerry Jeudy, a salvageable defense and the No. 2 overall pick to possibly fortify the line, they could theoretically return to relevance if Cousins is willing to take a minimum deal and restores some of his own confidence under Stefanski.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
February 4, 2025 | 1:11 pm
