Kirk Cousins rumored suitor could be a contender no one expected

Kirk Cousins was supposed to be the missing piece for the Atlanta Falcons.

When the veteran quarterback put pen to paper on his four-year, $180 million contract, the entire city rejoiced. Gone were the days of Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. The Falcons had their franchise QB — a proven winner whose skill set aligned perfectly with a Sean McVay disciple like OC Zac Robinson.

The results were less than ideal, unfortunately. It was something of an odd season for Cousins, who began slow out of the gate, put together a brief MVP facade midseason, then fell off a cliff down the stretch. At 36 years old and coming off his first major knee surgery, Cousins just did not possess the mobility and accuracy that defined his prior tenures in Washington and Minnesota.

Cousins threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns across 14 starts, which looks fine on paper. The issue is, he threw a league-leading 16 interceptions and committed a ghastly 13 fumbles (also the most in the NFL). You cannot turn the football over 29 times and expect to contend, even if the NFC South.

In the end, Atlanta turned the offense over to rookie Michael Penix Jr. and effectively ended the Cousins era before his first full campaign was complete. The expectation is that Cousins will get waived and become a free agent, able to sign a minimum contract while the Falcons foot the bill.

Several QB-needy teams are bound to dial up the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, but Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated has a bold prediction for where Cousins will end up.

Bold prediction has Kirk Cousins signing with Dolphins in NFL free agency

He believes the Miami Dolphins will pluck Cousins from the free agent pool, setting up a high-profile QB competition between the grizzled vet and Tua Tagovailoa, who just last offseason received a $212.4 million contract from the Dolphins.

"The Dolphins will sign Kirk Cousins, and he’ll eventually wrest the starting job away from Tua Tagovailoa during the 2025 season," Orr predicts. "Cousins is a coveted asset among the Shanahan-ites for his decisiveness and processing skills. Much like Aaron Rodgers coming off the broken thumb finale in Green Bay, Cousins is a bit of a distressed asset who, in my opinion, still has some good football ahead of him. Unlike the Falcons, Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins can find a way to work him into the dynamic run game."

This would certainly qualify as a risky gambit for the Dolphins, but there's some sense to it.

Cousins is a Kyle Shanahan favorite. It sometimes feels like the 49ers coach would throw away the whole Brock Purdy era for a chance to finally work hand-in-hand with Cousins. Instead, in this hypothetical outcome, it's Shanahan's former assistant, Mike McDaniel, who gets to join forces with Cousins.

Miami has expressed confidence in Tagovailoa over the years, but he's worryingly injury-prone and the postseason disappointments are starting to stack up. After the 2024 campaign, which saw the Dolphins miss the playoffs entirely, Tyreek Hill basically embarked on a soliloquy at his locker, bemoaning Miami's inability to win and signaling a desire to leave. He later walked back those comments, but tensions are starting to boil.

Tagovailoa does not have Cousins' arm strength or processing skills. He's great on quick-hitters and well-trained in McDaniel's unique scheme, but few NFL quarterbacks are more rigid and counterproductive under pressure. Cousins has a lot to prove after last season, but there's reason to believe he will look better after months of rejuvenation and hard work. The Falcons could not afford to wait out Cousins' laggy return from injury. Miami, in theory, can sign a fresh-legged Cousins for dirt cheap.

Benching your $212 million quarterback in the second year of his contract is almost unheard of, but the Falcons just benched their $180 million man after 14 games, so never say never. Cousins, at something close to full strength, is probably a superior option compared to Tagovailoa, especially for Miami's purposes. The timeline to contend is rather urgent.

It's a fun thought. It's not going to happen, of course, but it would set the stage for some immaculate drama in South Beach.