5 NFL Teams That Should Try to Trade for Falcons' Kirk Cousins in 2026 Offseason

Quarterback Kirk Cousins was frequently the topic of trade chatter during the 2025 NFL offseason, though the Atlanta Falcons opted to keep him as insurance behind 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.

It turned out that the insurance was needed, as Penix suffered a season-ending ACL tear after nine starts. While Cousins couldn't push Atlanta into playoff contention, he has performed well as of late, leading the Falcons to three straight wins while throwing six touchdowns and only one interception during the winning streak.

Cousins, it would seem, is finally back to the form he showcased before his 2023 Achilles tear. Naturally, that means that he'll return to being the subject of trade speculation when the 2026 offseason begins in March.

While the 37-year-old won't be the right fit for every quarterback-needy team, these five franchises should try to make a run at him in 2026.

Would the Falcons Really Trade Cousins?

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Kirk Cousins

The big question is whether the Falcons would really be willing to let Cousins go at a reasonable rate. He has two years left on his contract and a full no-trade clause, so Atlanta can't just ship him off to the highest bidder.

The Falcons must also consider the fact that Penix is working his way back from the third ACL tear of his career. Head coach Raheem Morris hasn't ruled out the possibility of Cousins being the starter to open the 2026 season.

"Everything's on the table," Morris said in mid-December, per Garrett Chapman of SI.com.

Of course, if Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot are back in 2026, they may want to double-down on their decision to draft Penix eighth overall months after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.

There's also the matter of saving $32.5 million in cap space, which Atlanta could do by dealing Cousins. That could be reason enough to consider a trade, if the Falcons believe they can compete in the NFC South with Penix behind center.

Atlanta is currently projected to have just $5.2 million in 2026 cap space. Trading Cousins could allow the Falcons to be legitimate players in free agency.

A lot will hinge on Penix's recovery, any coaching or front office changes the Falcons make in the coming weeks, and Cousins' willingness/desire to join a new team. However, a trade seems reasonable enough that these teams should be placing calls in the spring.

Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Cardinals OC Drew Petzing

For the Arizona Cardinals, a lot will depend on whether general manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon, and the bulk of Gannon's staff are retained. If franchise owner Michael Bidwill chooses to support his front office, he may want to see what it can accomplish with a different quarterback.

The Cardinals have, after all, appeared more offensively efficient with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback than with Kyler Murray this season. There's also been no shortage of trade speculation surrounding Murray.

"Arizona and Murray are expected to have extensive discussions to help determine whether to move forward together or go their own ways," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote in November. "Many sources believe the latter is the likely outcome, with one source saying this week that 'separation is imminent.'"

While Brissett has been a fine placeholder, he hasn't delivered wins. If the Cardinals don't believe they can land a quarterback in the draft—they currently hold the fifth overall selection—Cousins would make sense.

Cardinals offense coordinator Drew Petzing worked with Cousins for two seasons, as the Minnesota Vikings' assistant QB coach in 2018 and the Vikings' wide receivers coach in 2019.

Partnering Cousins with Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and Michael Wilson in Petzing's offense could give the Cardinals a much-needed boost.

Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel

The Miami Dolphins will be in the market for a new general manager in the offseason. It remains to be seen if they'll also be in the market for a head coach. Mike McDaniel was firmly on the hot seat early in the year, but five wins in November and December might be enough to save his job.

And if McDaniels is back, he might be willing to roll with seventh-round rookie Quin Ewers, who got his first NFL win on Sunday.

"I think it's awesome in this profession when you believe in people and they take advantage of the opportunity," McDaniel told reporters after the Week 17 win. "I think Quinn played a very good game with what we asked him to do."

Regardless of McDaniels' fate, it feels like Miami is out on Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched for Ewers for performance reasons. Offloading Tagovailoa's contract this coming offseason won't be easy, as it will contain $56.4 million in dead money, but if the Dolphins can do it, they may need a veteran QB to at least push Ewers.

Cousins could do exactly that, and he could feel good enough about his chances of beating out the Texas product that he'd sign off on a trade to South Beach. It's also worth noting that McDaniel was on the Washington Commanders' staff during Cousins' first two seasons in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell

Theoretically, the Vikings have their new quarterback of the future in 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. However, the Michigan product simply hasn't shown enough consistency—or enough availability—for the Vikings to feel comfortable moving forward with him as the unquestioned QB1.

McCarthy, who is currently dealing with a hand injury, has been limited to nine starts this season after missing his entire rookie campaign. While he's gone 5-4 as the starter, he's posted a disappointing 71.2 quarterback rating.

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported in early December that the Vikings are expected to add a veteran quarterback to "push" McCarthy in 2026. If that's the case, bringing back Cousins would make plenty of sense.

Cousins had three Pro Bowl campaigns in Minnesota. The Vikings have made the playoffs in two of their four seasons under head coach Kevin O'Connell, once with Cousins and once with Sam Darnold.

Minnesota actually won the NFC North with Cousins in 2022, and it's not hard to think that the Vikings could be right back in the divisional mix by reuniting Cousins and O'Connell next season.

Cousins would get another opportunity to start in a familiar environment, while O'Connell and the Vikings would buy themselves time with which to evaluate and develop McCarthy.

New York Jets

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn

The New York Jets' search for a steady quarterback has been ongoing for years. They took a flier on Justin Fields this past offseason, but the experiment was largely a flop. Assuming head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey are back next season, New York may want to go in an entirely new direction.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Jets remain confident in Glenn despite a disappointing first season:

"But faith in Glenn—once a Jets defensive back—remains strong inside the building. The culture is forming. The expectation is he'll return in 2026."

The caveat here is that New York may have another chance to draft a top QB prospect in April. The Jets currently control the third pick in the draft, which could be enough to get them the second quarterback—the Las Vegas Raiders will, presumably, take a QB like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza or Oregon's Dante Moore first overall.

Of course, the New York Giants, who have Jaxson Dart, could flip the second overall pick to another QB-needy team, leaving the Jets grasping at air on draft night.

Cousins would be a terrific bridge starter if New York can guarantee him that it won't pull him for a rookie midseason. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand operated with a similar pocket passer in Jared Goff as the Detroit Lions' passing game coordinator the last two seasons.

Until the Jets have found a signal-caller who can guide them back to relevance, they should throw every possible dart at the position.

Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/David Richard

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

Unlike most quarterback-needy teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn't face any coaching uncertainty entering the offseason. Mike Tomlin—who has still never delivered a losing season—will return unless he decides otherwise.

The Steelers don't, however, have a clear long-term quarterback plan. They're currently riding with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, though his plan upon joining Pittsburgh was to make this his final season.

"That's why we just did a one-year deal," Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show in June (h/t Nick Shook of NFL.com).

Since then, Rodgers hasn't hinted that he's considering another run in 2026. If he decides to hang it up—or opts to take his last ride with a different team—Pittsburgh will be right back in the quarterback market.

Unfortunately, the Steelers aren't going to end up with a draft position high enough to land one of the top QB prospects in April.

Like Rodgers, Cousins is a pure pocket passer at this stage in his career, and he'd slot right into the system we've seen coordinator Arthur Smith run this season. He might not be an upgrade over Rodgers, but he probably wouldn't deliver an offensive decline either—especially if the Steelers can upgrade their supporting cast.

*Cap and contract information from Spotrac.