The Atlanta Falcons haven't necessarily been appointment television this season, but Week 8 will offer a must-see performance for those hawking NFL trade rumors.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is slated to miss Sunday's matchup against the Miami Dolphins due to a bone bruise. That leaves backup and 14-year veteran Kirk Cousins "highly likely" to start in his place, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Penix is the obvious QB of the future for Atlanta, and Cousins will seemingly have to resign himself to the role of backup until the end of his career unless the team finds the right trade partner. Sunday's opportunity to start may be just what Cousins needs to impress a QB-needy team, especially with rumors swirling around his unhappiness sitting on the bench.
New York Jets should be glued to Falcons vs. Dolphins with Kirk Cousins playing
If there's any team that meets that criteria it's the New York Jets. Week 1 starter Justin Fields was benched for backup Tyrod Taylor in Week 7, but he'll be getting a second chance in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals only by virtue of Taylor being ruled out for a bone bruise.
Unless Fields throws for 400+ yards, a trio of touchdowns and leads New York to a big, confidence-boosting win, he's still going to be in danger of warming the bench in Week 9. And even then, it will come with a giant caveat courtesy of this weak Cincy defense. There are just 10 days until the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4, so the Jets front office will be monitoring available options as it becomesm clear Fields isn't the future at QB.
Cousins hasn't played a full season since he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, but his 3,508 passing yards and 18 touchdowns last season should still be evidence enough that he's got something left in the tank. Especially now that he's one year further removed from the Achilles injury that sent his 2023 campaign sideways.
Even if his 16 interceptions last year are an eyesore, what would be the point in continuing with Fields and Taylor when there's clearly been no signs of improvement? Taylor is expendable on his current contract, but Fields needs a reset if the Jets are going to keep him around next year.
Cousins is in year two of a four-year, $180 million deal, so he'd be an expensive investment but what else is the team going to do to try and get better? The Falcons may luck into a deal that involves a mid-round pick from the Jets, especially with a significant amount of leverage added if the Jets lose again on Sunday.