It's going to be a very interesting offseason for the NFL quarterback carousel in 2025, and a player like Kirk Cousins being available as a short-term veteran bridge option makes it all the more intriguing.
The Atlanta Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million in the 2024 offseason, but they could be poised to cut or trade him after just one season in which Cousins has been benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. There is always more demand than supply at the quarterback position and Cousins is a proven veteran at the position. To his credit, Cousins had a 500-yard game this season before the decline that led to his benching.
There will be no shortage of teams interested in acquiring Cousins, similar to what we saw last year after the Denver Broncos cut Russell Wilson. But which situations could actually make sense for him?
Top 5 potential landing spots for Kirk Cousins in 2025
1. Las Vegas Raiders
There are a number of reasons the Las Vegas Raiders could make the most sense for Kirk Cousins if/when he's let go by the Falcons in 2025. First of all, Cousins will have an income tax-free salary in Vegas. Second, he will have Brock Bowers to dump the ball to.
Third, there is a possibility that whoever is the Raiders' head coach in 2025 will be favorable to Cousins. If the Raiders are transitioning to a new head coach in 2025, having a field general like Cousins to bridge the gap to whoever ends up being their young QB could help Brock Bowers progress and get this team relevant in the AFC West again.
2. Tennessee Titans
There were rumors back in the middle of the 2017 season that the San Francisco 49ers were poised to go after Kirk Cousins in 2018 NFL free agency. That never happened because instead, the Niners traded for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Still, Titans GM Ran Carthon was the 49ers' director of pro personnel back then and you can't help but wonder if he feels like a player of Cousins's caliber could raise the floor of this Titans team while they bring in a young QB to develop.
3. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins need to put themselves in a better situation if/when Tua Tagovailoa misses time due to injury. Nobody wants to see Tua get hurt, but the unfortunate reality dating back to his time at Alabama is that he's likely going to miss a decent chunk of games each year. He played a 17-game season in 2023, but he has missed at least 3-5 games every year besides.
I think Cousins, who has long been tied to the state of Florida because of his extended family, would take the income tax-free gig as Tua's (extremely well-paid) backup in Mike McDaniel's offense. McDaniel knows Cousins well from their time together in Washington once upon a time.
4. San Francisco 49ers
It feels like this is the fourth or fifth time since I've been covering the NFL that the 49ers could make a run at Kirk Cousins. Will it actually come to fruition? I sort of doubt it, but you never know.
The 49ers are another team that could be looking to raise the floor at QB this offseason or perhaps just bring in some needed competition for Brock Purdy. Kyle Shanahan was with the Washington franchise back when Cousins was drafted and knows him well.
Brock Purdy has had a down year this year and has also had a couple of injuries that make you wonder how bought in the 49ers are to him long-term. Bringing in Cousins would give Purdy some veteran competition and the 49ers an option to turn to if Purdy doesn't work out.
5. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are going to be getting a new head coach this offseason and new head coaches typically mean new quarterbacks. Unless the Saints hire Jon Gruden (which may actually be possible), I'm not sure Derek Carr is safe there.
Financially speaking, if Cousins is available for the veteran minimum or something, the Saints could make a lot of sense for him as an option. He'd have a chance at revenge against the Falcons for benching him twice next year.