Falcons' Cousins wants out of Atlanta ahead of trade deadline

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Falcons' Kirk Cousins wants out of Atlanta ahead of trade deadline

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 8:01 AM ET

The first big-time trade request ahead of the NFL trade deadline has officially been made. It has come from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, as he has expressed a desire to be given an opportunity to once again play as a starting quarterback.

Kirk Cousins' Atlanta tenure hasn't gone according to plan

Cousins signed with the Falcons as a free agent last season, earning a four-year, $180M contract. Cousins lasted just 14 games as the starter under that contract before ultimately being benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Since being benched last season, Cousins has appeared in just two games. One of those was in Week 8 when he started in what turned into an embarrassing 34-10 loss for the Falcons against the Miami Dolphins.

Kirk Cousins desires an opportunity to start elsewhere

(Via @usatoday) pic.twitter.com/vdyiQFFXOv
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 28, 2025

What exactly is Kirk Cousins' value?

Cousins didn't exactly have the greatest performance of his career in Week 8, as he managed just 173 passing yards and no touchdowns.

Wildly enough, Cousins has just one touchdown pass since Week 10 of last season, a statistic that has likely diminished whatever trade value Cousins may have once had.

Kirk Cousins' potential landing spots

There are a few obvious landing spots for Cousins to go and be the starter for the remainder of the season. The most obvious may be the Minnesota Vikings, given their injury situation at quarterback.

A couple of other destinations that make sense are the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. Cleveland has seen its rookie Dillon Gabriel struggle while New York has seen its duo of Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor underperform for most of the season.

There is no clear indication as to whether or not Atlanta will honor the request, but it will certainly be an intriguing storyline to follow leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

More must-reads: