Kirk Cousins, Rams Contract Talks Revealed by Sean McVay Amid Jimmy Garoppolo's NFL Free Agency

The Los Angeles Rams haven't settled on a backup quarterback for the 2026 season yet, but head coach Sean McVay is keeping tabs on Kirk Cousins as a potential option.

Speaking to reporters from the NFL league meetings on Monday, McVay said the Rams have talked with Cousins' camp and they remain interested in bringing back Jimmy Garoppolo.

He later spoke on the situation on ESPN's NFL Live:

Matthew Stafford, coming off an MVP season in 2025, is entrenched as the starter in Los Angeles. Stetson Bennett IV is the only other quarterback currently under contract.

Garoppolo has been Stafford's backup for the past two seasons. He has appeared in four games during that span, making one start in Week 18 of the 2024 campaign after the team had already clinched the NFC West title.

Cousins was officially released by the Atlanta Falcons at the start of the new league year on March 11. The move had been confirmed a few weeks earlier by new general manager Ian Cunningham.

The Rams' interest in Cousins makes perfect sense because of his familiarity with McVay. They previously worked together from 2012 to '16 when they were with Washington.

McVay spent his final three years in Washington as the offensive coordinator before being hired by the Rams in January 2017. Cousins became the full-time starter in Washington in 2015. He threw for 9,083 yards, 54 touchdowns and completed 68.3 percent of his attempts in 32 starts with McVay calling plays.

In addition to potentially working with McVay again if he were to sign with Los Angeles, Cousins would also be joining a Rams team that is built to win a Super Bowl right now.

The Rams lost in the NFC Championship Game to the Seattle Seahawks last season. They have made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons after an injury-plagued 5-12 season in 2022 coming off their victory in Super Bowl 56.