USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Cousins Trade Fate May Have Been Sealed With New Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Petry | Last updated May 23, 2025 1:40 PM ET

The trade market for Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is rapidly closing with a new update on Aaron Rodgers.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter has stated that a final resolution may soon be reached for Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"My guess is he’s going to wind up there,” Schefter said on ESPN Milwaukee. “I think that we’ve heard Art Rooney, the team owner, say he expects Aaron Rodgers to sign there, and they have mandatory minicamp June 10th to the 12th, so I would think Rodgers is on the table here in the next week or so.”

This may be the last opportunity for Kirk Cousins to be traded, barring a team having its quarterback go down during OTAs or training camp. If Rodgers were to turn the Steelers down, this would make Cousins the number one target for Pittsburgh.

The Atlanta Falcons have tried desperately to find a team willing to take on a chunk of the over $40 million still owed to Cousins. So far, teams are only willing to pay around $10 million of the salary, while Atlanta is thinking more along the lines of $20 million.

On March 15th, Cousins' roster bonus of $10 million became guaranteed. It was rumored that Atlanta would move him beforehand, but it never happened.

If Cousins were to be traded this summer, the acquiring team would pay that sum if the Falcons find a trade partner for the quarterback. Should Cousins stay in Atlanta, the Falcons will pay the bonus on top of the $90 million guaranteed they owe the quarterback.

It is a real possibility that Kirk Cousins will be an extremely wealthy backup quarterback on the Falcons' roster this upcoming season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: