New Kirk Cousins Trade Landing Spots After QB Says He Felt Misled by Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons shocked nearly everyone in and around the NFL when they chose quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft.

After all, they had already signed Kirk Cousins—the top free-agent signal-caller on the market—to a four-year, $180 million contract.

Sixteen months later, the 36-year-old acknowledged he had been "a little bit misled" about the team's plans.

"Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would've affected my decision," Cousins said on the first episode of Netflix's Quarterback (h/t ESPN's Marc Raimondi). "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."

The Falcons have been adamant that the organization is comfortable retaining Cousins as Penix's backup this year. Those around the league can see this as a bluff in hopes of some suitor upping the potential return for the veteran signal-caller.

At the same time, the four-time Pro Bowler still wants to start after playing through an injured shoulder last year, which contributed to his downturn in form and eventual benching.

"The information I had at the time, I made the best decision," Cousins said. "You also know that if you sit down Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back."

He didn't. But there are four potential landing spots for Cousins where he could fit nicely and possibly start next season.

Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco

If the Cleveland Browns are serious about winning this season, a Cousins acquisition remains on the table. Right now, the organization doesn't have a legitimate plan at the quarterback position.

The Browns have four signal-callers on the roster with the potential to start, which means they don't have a legitimate starter in the mix.

At this juncture, Joe Flacco is the most likely candidate to earn the nod. Browns fans will look back to the 2023 campaign and hope he can rekindle the magic that led him becoming the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. But he's now 40 years old and played poorly for the Indianapolis Colts last season.

Even with Flacco's hot streak two seasons ago, the team still bowed out of the postseason's first round.

Kenny Pickett is competing with Flacco as another veteran trying to lead the team as QB1. He has yet to show he's worthy of that distinction after being a first-round bust with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cleveland can cut both and only cost the team $4.2 million while gaining $1.25 million. The Browns could easily take on a chunk of Cousins' $27 million base salary if necessary.

From there, Cleveland has a pair of rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who were chosen in this year's third and fifth rounds, respectively. Maybe one of them surprises and shows they're capable of being an NFL starter. Their draft statuses don't indicate the Browns feel the same way. Instead, one or both can be backup developmental options.

A healthy Cousins returning to Kevin Stefanski's system, where he experienced his best seasons, can settle a lot for the Browns and actually make them competitive, considering the state roster with veterans such as Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, David Njoku, etc.

Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Cousins and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell

Cousins already mentioned the idea of not leaving Minnesota had he understood his standing with the Falcons a little more during last year's free agency. He even added the caveat that if he was going to be a backup, he probably would have stayed where his family had established roots.

The Vikings do have their quarterback plan in place with J.J. McCarthy taking over the starting role after being the 10th overall pick in last year's draft.

Cousins can return and serve as an insurance policy.

Obviously, the veteran knows the system and had success under Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's supervision. McCarthy has yet to prove he's capable of doing so.

His rookie season became a wash after suffering a torn MCL during the preseason, but the 22-year-old isn't starting from scratch after being in the locker room and learning from O'Connell for an entire season. At the same time, though, the Vikings have yet to see what he can do when games matter.

A possibility exists that McCarthy isn't ready to start. Keep in mind, he's younger than Cam Ward, who was chosen with this year's No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans. And Sam Howell isn't the same caliber of Sam Darnold when it comes to further QB options on the roster.

If the Falcons want to shed a portion of Cousins' salary and get a little something in return, a reunion in Minnesota makes a lot of sense for a team that finished 14-3 a year ago and isn't looking to take a step back, even with a young quarterback as the plan moving forward.

Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson

The clock is ticking in Indianapolis for multiple people within the Colts organization. And any interest in Cousins comes with an asterisk based on how quickly general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen lose patience with Anthony Richardson.

As the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Richardson probably had a rather lengthy leash entering this offseason, but it's shortening with each passing month.

Injuries and questions about maturity led to the 23-year-old missing multiple games through his first two seasons. A lack of development as a passer didn't help matters. As soon as he tapped out of a game last season for being tired, the entire perception changed.

The Colts knew something needed to be done. Ballard was open about bringing in competition, and he did so by signing free-agent Daniel Jones. To make matters worse, Richardson reaggravated the shoulder injury he suffered during his rookie campaign.

"They looked at the scans, I'm told that structurally, this is OK," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. "It's just an inflammation and rest/soreness type of issue. He fully expects to be ready to go for training camp. But it is an issue, make no mistake. Especially with Daniel Jones, they're paying him some decent coin to potentially be the starter."

If Richardson is not ready for the start of training camp and experiences any kind of setback, the Colts should reassess the situation because a lot is riding on this season. Ballard and Steichen could well be entering a make-or-break campaign.

Would they rather have Jones or Cousins trying to save their jobs? The answer seems obvious, even if Indianapolis needs to take on a chunk of the latter's contract and likely surrender a future asset in return.

New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough

Trades within a division don't happen often, but they shouldn't be completely ruled out, either.

The New Orleans Saints are generally viewed as the NFL's worst team entering the 2025 campaign. A significant reason behind that rationale is based on their quarterback room after Derek Carr's retirement.

A competition will ensue during training camp with second-round draft pick Tyler Shough expected to win the job.

However, he will be a 26-year-old rookie, with only one full year as a collegiate starter and an extensive injury history (broken collarbone, shoulder issues and a broken leg). To be fair, he has the arm talent, athleticism and understanding of the game to start and possibly even thrive in the NFL. But the risk of relying on him is too immense.

Beyond Shough, Spencer Rattler remains in the conversation. He started six games last season. While an argument can be made that he was thrown into the fire, he didn't do enough for the organization to pass on a QB prospect it liked early in this year's draft.

As shaky as this setup appears, a veteran addition might be ideal for this roster, considering the Saints still feature running back Alvin Kamara, wide receivers Chris Olave and Brandin Cooks, tight end Juwan Johnson, center Erik McCoy, defensive end Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis and safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Everyone mentioned, except for Olave, will be 28 or older at the start of the season.

The Falcons shouldn't fear moving Cousins to a rival outfit, not when the organization benched him last year—no matter the circumstances—and believes Penix is the right person to lead the squad.

Instead, Atlanta must look at all of the potential opportunities to rid itself of some payroll and possibly add a draft asset or two.