Kirk Cousins Already on the Trade Block in Atlanta…?

This offseason the Minnesota Vikings made a monumental decision in moving on from quarterback Kirk Cousins. They opted for Sam Darnold as a veteran starter and drafted future franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Things have gone increasingly well for Minnesota, and they have virtually done the opposite for Cousins.

Although the Atlanta Falcons gave Cousins a boatload of money in free agency, they also drafted Michael Penix Jr. That put an immediate clock on the veteran’s timeline, and the trade deadline has only increased the rumblings.

Are the Atlanta Falcons moving Kirk Cousins?

There has been some thought that Kirk Cousins could have a short stay with the Atlanta Falcons. That’s basically the opposite of what he was looking for when he signed the contract. It remains unlikely that he would be traded this season, but the idea isn’t terribly crazy says ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“If we’re aiming above the line of expected candidates and straight for the surprise bin, I’ll start with Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins as a trade candidate. To be clear: There is nothing moving here. The Falcons appear perfectly happy with Cousins, who is third in the NFL with 1,830 passing yards. But we can take information given to us and make educated assumptions. When I’ve asked people around the league whether they expect the Falcons to show restraint and sit Michael Penix Jr. for multiple years, the majority responded that they do not.

The logic is simple: First-rounders play and play early, barring a few exceptions. Perhaps the Falcons can emulate the Packers’ way of quarterbacking and play Cousins at least through his two years of guarantees at $90 million, which would be the prudent thing to do. But that leads me to what coach Raheem Morris told me this offseason: “When do you transition to a new quarterback? When he can’t win.” He, being the current quarterback. So how Atlanta finishes the season could play a part.”

Jeremy Fowler on a Kirk Cousins trade (ESPN)

It would be jarring to see Cousins moved this quickly. Then again it was jarring to see the Falcons use their first pick on a quarterback after paying Cousins what they did. Atlanta is currently tied atop the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4-3. Cousins is going to continue facing pressure with the reality that he was brought in to win. He did put up quite a performance in their first head-to-head matchup.