NFL GM: Falcons 'Calling Everyone Right Now That Will Listen' on Kirk Cousins Trade

Kirk Cousins is still on the Atlanta Falcons' roster, but they reportedly want to change that this offseason.

Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports cited a current NFL general manager in a Wednesday article who said the Falcons are looking for a trade partner.

"Right now, they're frustrated and just trying to buy time," the GM said. "They're all-in on (Michael) Penix. He's their guy. They love him. But they can't keep Cousins—just can't. So I think (GM Terry Fontenot) is trying to find a trade partner willing to take on at least part of Kirk's salary."

The GM also said it's "not likely" that Atlanta will find a partner to take on some of the salary. 

"But it's still possible. Maybe he can get a team that misses out on a QB to bite before or even after the draft. That's his best shot—hoping someone is still without a quarterback when the music stops. But they're calling everyone right now that will listen."

The bottom line is the Falcons seem somewhat stuck.

Cousins being on the roster after this past Saturday triggered an additional $10 million roster bonus to go with the $27.5 million he is owed for the upcoming season. That is a lot of money for a backup quarterback, which makes the team's decision to both sign the veteran and draft Penix at No. 8 overall in the same offseason all the more confusing in hindsight.

Atlanta's best chance to trade Cousins and get some of the money off the books may be to wait until closer to the season and see if there is a quarterback injury elsewhere around the league.

If a potential contender loses a signal-caller during training camp or the preseason, it may be somewhat in panic mode to make a move so the 2025 campaign isn't completely lost. That would give the Falcons far more leverage in trade discussions than they have at this point of the calendar.

Cousins may not be the future for Atlanta, but he is still a four-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards on his resume.

A contending team needing an emergency fill-in while facing an injury to its starter could do far worse than that, which would make him an intriguing trade target.

The same logic could be applied after the draft if there is a team that was presumably going to select a quarterback that decides against it this year. Such a team could need a bridge quarterback option until it potentially drafts its future face of the franchise in 2026.

Yet if the Falcons are unable to make such a move, they will have Cousins as a proven but expensive backup.