The Atlanta Falcons marked the end of Kirk Cousins' tenure in Atlanta just six weeks after he signed his contract. That was on the first night of the NFL Draft when the team selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.
After the completion of the following draft, Cousins is still on the Falcons, seemingly relegated to a backup role. Atlanta leadership was clear: they were happy to go into 2025 with Cousins still on the roster. But that's a load of bologna. The Falcons cannot go into the season with the young Penix looking over his shoulder at a veteran backup making over $27 million in cast this season.
Who was the best trade suitor for Kirk Cousins?
Since the end of the Cousins' era in Atlanta, ties to the Cleveland Browns were already made. Cousins played for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota. Stefanski was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, with Cousins under center until the former got the job in Cleveland.
The Browns have continued their own struggles at quarterback. After two seasons with Baker Mayfield, Cleveland traded three first-round picks, three mid-round picks, and paid $230 million guaranteed to Deshaun Watson. With Watson, the Browns have gotten 19 games across three seasons of the worst quarterback play in the NFL.
Considering all of that, the Browns seemed like the perfect place for Cousins to land. A day three pick should've solved everyone's problems. But rumors were rampant that the Falcons wanted more. And no one in their right mind would trade anything of value for the 37-year-old quarterback coming off multiple injuries, shaky play, AND pay him over $27 million for one season.
So Atlanta held out. Waiting, to see if a quarterback-needy team would miss out on someone during the draft. Perhaps Day 2 would go by and they could get something in 2025 and 2026. But there was no such luck.
What changed over NFL Draft weekend
The Browns ended up going into the draft with two new quarterbacks on their roster after free agency. They traded for Philadelphia Eagles' backup Kenny Pickett and signed former cult hero Joe Flacco. Nice moves, but nothing keeping them from potentially making a move for Cousins.
But then the NFL Draft came and went, and the Browns drafted not just one ... but TWO quarterbacks, sparking this hilarious graphic from ESPN.
The Browns' QB room after drafting Shedeur Sanders 👀 pic.twitter.com/noz5AcH9Bj
— ESPN (@espn) April 26, 2025
With this ... collection of players ... we'll say, the Browns likely aren't making any investments in Kirk Cousins. Which leaves just one more option.
The Steelers are still looking for their veteran
The Pittsburgh Steelers are also in quarterback no-man's-land post-draft. Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson were the only quarterbacks under contract going into the weekend, and their only draft pick used on the position was a sixth-round pick for Will Howard. These moves clearly indicate they are waiting on SOME veteran to join their team.
All eyes are still on Aaron Rodgers, and wondering when he'll make a decision. The latest from Rodgers and insiders around the league is it's just down to the Steelers, and up to Rodgers on if he even WANTS to play again. But how long can the Steelers wait?
Atlanta should call Pittsburgh in regard to Cousins. Pittsburgh is expected to have the most compensatory picks in the 2026 class, and they have cap flexibility for 2025 still. For Pittsburgh, making sure your next starter is in the building as early as possible will help smooth things over for all of the new pieces on the offense this year.
Going to Pittsburgh would likely also satisfy Cousins, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. Cousins should look Pittsburgh's roster and see a chance to win, while Atlanta should see a chance to get out of this clean before offseason workouts truly begin.