Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons is definitely in an awkward situation with the team, and he recently talked about it.
Last offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth nearly $200 million. It was a shocking payday in the eyes of some, but it did make sense. In 2023 with the Vikings, Cousins was on pace for the best season of his career before a torn Achilles abruptly ended things.
And with the Falcons having QB inconsistencies for years, Cousins was at least doing to provide them with some short-term stability, right?
Well, the Falcons pulled off quite the major move when they took Michael Penix Jr at pick eight in the 2024 NFL Draft, making it quite the interesting QB move. Penix is already in his mid-20s, so it's not like he was going to 'sit and learn' for three seasons.
With Cousins regressing in real-time during the season, the team turned to Penix, but Cousins himself seems a bit put-off by the entire situation.
Kirk Cousins seems a bit slighted by the Atlanta Falcons drafting Penix
Here is the veteran QB on the situation with the Falcons, himself, and Michael Penix Jr:
""Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would've affected my decision," Cousins said on the first episode of the season. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I've also learned in 12 years in this league that you're not entitled to anything. It's all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.""Kirk Cousins
What sticks out as being interesting here is that the Vikings did extend an offer to Cousins, so him signing with Atlanta does kind of tell us that he really thought he was going to be 'their guy' for the next few seasons. But now with Penix in the picture, Kirk Cousins seems to be an afterthought with the Falcons, and you have to wonder if the team wants to trade him at some point.
There could be a QB-needy team that comes calling in the 2025 NFL Season for some help. Let's say, for example, a contender loses their starting QB for the rest of the season - this could present a scenario where the Falcons trade Kirk Cousins. No one would dispute that Penix is now going to be the guy for the franchise, but the entire situation is just massively awkward.