Falcons Confident in Kirk Cousins Settling Into Backup QB Role: Report

Trade rumors continue to connect Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins to other teams. But the quarterback and team appear content with the idea that Cousins isn't going anywhere.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported this week that based on how things went at the team's minicamp, the Falcons are confident Cousins will be comfortable in the backup quarterback role behind Michael Penix Jr. this season.

"I spoke with one Falcons coach who said last week's minicamp appearance for Kirk Cousins was essentially what they think gives them confidence this will work into the fall," Wolfe said on Monday. "Cousins was not a distraction at all. He handled the media well, he was talking to Michael Penix throughout practice. But largely, he has assimilated into the background.

"This is Michael Penix's team, and as Kirk Cousins also said in that presser, 'We're moving forward. We're moving forward without this idea that there's a trade still out there for us.'"

The assumption has been for several weeks that the Falcons are holding onto Cousins in the hopes of trading him to a contender who sustains a quarterback injury. That team could be interested in Cousins and desperate enough to give into Atlanta's demands.

However, there's no guarantee that will happen. So, because there are no current obvious landing spots for Cousins, the quarterback and Falcons are assuming they will be together this season.

"As we've looked around the league, after Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers, there's no starting job just waiting there for Kirk Cousins. Both sides essentially saying, 'we're going to have to make this work.' Cousins is not going to make a huge issue here, and for Michael Penix here, he's focused on making this his team," said Wolfe.

Cousins lost his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. after Week 15 last season. Over the prior five games before the benching, Cousins had one touchdown and nine interceptions.

Overall, Cousins went 7-7 as a starter last season with 18 touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions.

Penix was always going to replace Cousins eventually. It just wasn't clear until around Christmas time that it was going to happen when the team still owed Cousins a substantial amount of money.

Cousins will make that money as Atlanta's backup, presumably, unless a new potential trade destination arises for the veteran quarterback.