Falcons owner ready to pull out all the stops to sign free-agent QB?

It's no secret that the Atlanta Falcons need a long-term solution at quarterback. However, Falcons reporter Zach Klein of ABC Channel 2 in Atlanta says owner Arthur Blank may be ready to move mountains for veteran Kirk Cousins. 

Appearing on 92.9 The Game Thursday, Klein said that word out of the Falcons camp indicates that the franchise is preparing to go all-in on Cousins, preferring a more experienced QB over one in the draft. 

"Arthur Blank has basically told this front office that, 'Do what you gotta do, pay what you gotta pay. Get it done,'" Klein said. "So everybody I've talked to, agents, other coaches and scouts, guys around the league -- what they are hearing is that the Falcons will put all their attention on Kirk Cousins moving forward."

Cousins, 35, is entering his 13th NFL season and coming off a significant Achilles injury, which cost him half of the 2023 campaign. While injuries are always a concern for older players, Cousins was coming off arguably his best season with the Minnesota Vikings, going 13-4 while throwing for 4,547 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2022. 

With free agency approaching, there's no clear answer regarding where Cousins will land. Returning to the Vikings is still on the table, and recently, head coach Kevin O'Connell sounded optimistic about the possibility. 

"I feel like we’re heading toward a good place with Kirk, but like we’ve seen, free agency and the uncertainties for this time of year, you’ve got to be ready in a leadership role to have contingency plans and adjust on the fly," O'Connell said

The Falcons have been trying to replace Matt Ryan for a few years with lackluster results. Band-aids like Marcus Mariota and Taylor Heinicke failed, and 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder did little to secure the job over 13 starts a year ago, so going after Cousins makes sense.