Veteran NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins has been nothing if not patient in the 2025 offseason as he waits for some finality with his situation in Atlanta. The Falcons decided to sign Cousins to a big-money contract in the 2024 offseason and then use a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr., making Cousins the most expensive clipboard-holding player in the NFL this coming season.
Of course, Father Time spares nobody, and Cousins has limited time left to play in the NFL. Perhaps he's already past that time, but there's no question that he could start for a number of teams around the NFL, and the Falcons simply aren't going to cut him loose. They might be willing to trade him, but Cousins will have to be amenable to the trade as well, which has complicated the situation significantly.
With that all in mind, the right situation might have just opened up for Cousins with the New York Jets, who suffered a major training camp scare with starting QB Justin Fields suffering a dislocated toe after being stepped on.
Jets could be a great landing spot for Veteran QB Kirk Cousins
The injury to Fields is going to require more testing, but a dislocated toe for a guy who relies heavily on his ability to run with the ball is no small deal.
The Jets' current backup is veteran Tyrod Taylor, a player they have spoken highly of all offseason long, even with a new regime in place. Still, as highly as the Jets may think of someone like Taylor, the option of a quarterback like Cousins being out there has to be at least a little enticing.
Cousins is the type of veteran quarterback that could help take the Jets back to the postseason, even as a Wild Card team. It may not have worked out for him with the Falcons, but the Jets have a much better defense (on paper, at least) than Atlanta and plenty of playmakers in the offensive arsenal for Cousins to spread the ball to.
If Fields's injury ends up being a shorter-term deal, then Cousins will continue to wait. But this is exactly the type of situation he's waiting around for.
It speaks to Cousins's professionalism that you haven't really heard much about friction between he and the Falcons. Of course, he's being paid lots of money in Atlanta and being a good soldier for the time being, but Cousins is a competitor above all else and wants to play.
Situations like this around the NFL will likely continue to pop up as the season approaches, and it's only a matter of time before Cousins is sent to one of them.