4 teams that could load up and trade for Kirk Cousins in 2025

One of the biggest storylines of this NFL offseason was the free agency of Kirk Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler played for the Minnesota Vikings for the past six years, but he opted to move on from the Land of 1,000 Lakes and sign instead with the Atlanta Falcons on the first official day of free agency.

Cousins is coming off of a season-ending Achilles tear, but if he's healthy enough to play by Week 1, his presence should make the Falcons the favorites in the NFC South. Atlanta has been brought down by mediocre quarterback play in recent years, with the likes of Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota, and Taylor Heinicke all spending time as the starter.

Cousins takes a lot of heat for making so much money despite not being a top-five quarterback, but there's no denying that even at 35 years old, he's a huge upgrade. Falcons fans have been understandably excited at the prospect of Cousins finally unlocking the potential of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, but that excitement turned to confusion in the wake of Atlanta's astonishing choice in the first round of the NFL Draft.

If it seemed like most of the first round was filled with chalky, boring picks, that's probably because the Falcons' pick was shocking enough all on its own. That's not a knock on Michael Penix Jr., who Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot selected with the eighth overall pick. Penix has a troubling injury history of his own, but he's overcome every obstacle to get where he is. He showed last year in leading the Washington Huskies to the final of the College Football Playoff that he could make every throw, and as he put it in his piece at The Player's Tribune, "Truth is, it’s an EKG that will tell you everything you need to know about me."

Falcons fans have to have conflicting emotions, because Penix is a tantalizing prospect, but the ink hasn't even dried on Cousins' deal yet. All of a sudden, Atlanta has two quarterbacks to be excited about, which is undoubtedly a better situation than they were in a few months ago, even if it seems less than ideal than drafting the top defensive player or giving Cousins another weapon or protector on offense.

Fontenot has said that Penix could sit for four or five years behind Cousins, but it's amazing that he was able to say that with a straight face. We all know that's not going to happen. What do the Falcons do if Penix looks fantastic from the get-go? Cousins may only have a year before his job is in jeopardy, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Focus points out.

It's wild to be talking about this when Cousins hasn't taken a snap for the Dirty Birds yet, but if Penix is ready to take over in a year, then Cousins can be traded without it destroying Atlanta's salary cap, and it would be a smart move for the Falcons to make. Which teams could use a quarterback upgrade, and which ones might be willing to pull the trigger? Let's look at four teams that might be asking their fans, "You like that?" when they make a Cousins move next offseason, starting with the least intriguing and working our way up.

4) Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders seem to finally be moving in the right direction. Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels are long gone, and Antonio Pierce showed that he knows how to motivate a team, even an average one, into playing good football.

The Raiders' next step to playoff contention is acquiring talent, and the team did that in a big way by signing former Dolphin Christian Wilkins to pair with Maxx Crosby on the defensive line. Vegas then selected Brock Bowers, one of the highest-rated tight ends to ever come out of college, with the 13th overall pick. There's work to be done, but they're moving in the right direction.

Gardner Minshew was brought in to be the team's new quarterback, and while he may not be a sexy signing, he did lead the Colts to a 9-8 record after Anthony Richardson went down with a season-ending injury, nearly beating the Texans for the AFC South crown in the process.

Minshew is probably not the long-term solution in Vegas, and ironically, many around the league thought that the Raiders were targeting Penix if he was available when they picked at 13. The Falcons took him, though, which might have the domino effect of causing Cousins to end up in Sin City instead.

Cousins is a better quarterback than Minshew, and if the Falcons hand the keys to Penix after this year, the Raiders could swoop in and upgrade, while still looking to draft their quarterback of the future.

3) Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of a rebuild, and as of now, they don't have much of an identity. To the surprise of many, Mike Vrabel was let go as the team's head coach, and Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry both followed him out the door.

Nobody really knows what to expect from the new-look Titans, but it's safe to say that they're not seen as contenders. Brian Callahan has taken over after five years as the Bengals offensive coordinator, and Will Levis will get the shot to start in his second year. Tony Pollard was signed to replace Henry, but he's not the only new weapon in town, as Calvin Ridley was brought in on a four-year, $92 million contract to join De'Andre Hopkins and Treylon Burks in Tennessee's receiving corps.

Levis was inconsistent in his rookie season after taking over for Tannehill, which is to be expected. Now it's put up or shut up time in his sophomore campaign, though. Levis has some nice weapons to work with, and he needs to prove to his new coach that he can be the guy.

If Levis falters, the Titans could make a move for Cousins. In a division with CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, and Anthony Richardson, it would be a zag to bring in a quarterback that's closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but Cousins could make good use of the weapons around him to catapult Tennessee towards respectability.

2) Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are in the same boat as the Titans, except with an extra layer of sadness and anger that Titans fans can't match. Carolina got fleeced by the Bears in last year's trade for the No. 1 pick, giving up what turned out to be a historic haul for the rights to draft Bryce Young.

Young endured a rocky rookie season, often looking overmatched. It's too early to pull the plug on someone that was once seen as the savior of the franchise, but there are reasons to be skeptical that Young can turn it around. One of the concerns about him going into the draft was his size, and last we checked, he hasn't undergone a late growth spurt. His arm strength seemed average at best, and he can't use his legs in the way that a Lamar Jackson or a Justin Fields can.

New Carolina general manager, franchise legend Dan Morgan, has done everything in his power to give Young more help this year, first by signing two of the top offensive linemen available in free agency in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, then by trading for Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette in the second round. If Young doesn't give Panthers fans reason for optimism in 2024, especially with a new innovative, offensive-minded head coach in Dave Canales, there's a real chance that famously impatient and increasingly cantankerous Panthers owner David Tepper could order a change under center.

Cousins is a known commodity, and Tepper could see him as worth the price after bombing out in the Young trade. It might seem crazy to move on from Young so quickly, but this is a franchise that has fired three head coaches in five years. Anything is on the table.

1) Miami Dolphins

Our first three choices share a similar profile: non-playoff teams that might see Cousins as a path to a playoff berth, or at least competitiveness on a weekly basis. The Miami Dolphins are in a different boat. Head coach Mike McDaniel, like his mentor Kyle Shanahan, is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, and his "Fastest Show on Surf" led the league in yards per game last year and finished second behind only the Cowboys in total points.

Miami has an expensive question to consider this season, and it's not an easy one. Is Tua Tagovailoa, who is about to play out the final year of his rookie contract, the guy that can lead the Dolphins to the Super Bowl? If McDaniels believes in Tua, then they'll have to pay him. If not, that's where things could get interesting.

Almost any quarterback in the league would kill to be able to play for McDaniels and be surrounded by Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and now Odell Beckham Jr. It's an embarrassment of riches on offense, and there's really no excuse for the Dolphins to ever be held down. That's exactly what happened to end the season, though, as Miami managed just 19, 14, and seven points against the Ravens, Bills, and Chiefs, three of the top teams in the league.

Tua looked nothing like the quarterback that seemed to be an MVP candidate after the first month or two of the season, and now Miami has to determine if that was just a fluke, or if they can count on him to perform when it matters most.

It's one of the most important personnel decisions that currently exist in the league, because the Dolphins have the talent to win a Super Bowl, and those windows don't stay open for long. Cousins has had playoff issues of his own, but with his experience advantage over Tua, the Dolphins could very well conclude that he gives them the best chance at breaking through.