Saints Predicted To Sign $180 Million Star In Stunner

The New Orleans Saints' quarterback room is one of the youngest in the league with Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and Hunter Dekkers.

By now, you've likely heard a lot about how young and inexperienced at the NFL level the Saints' quarterback room is. There's been some buzz about the possibility of the Saints adding a veteran into the mix. Head coach Kellen Moore recently was asked about this very question. He said the team will "continue to evaluate" the quarterback market, but didn't really say if the team is leaning towards adding one.

Practice performance and the market will likely dictate the direction the team goes. Right now, the Saints are in the middle of a quarterback competition that will span the rest of the offseason. As of right now, it seems like either Shough or Rattler will be the guy. But, what if an appealing option becomes available?

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin predicted that the Atlanta Falcons will cut four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins and he will then sign with New Orleans.

"Cousins was a no-show for the start of the Atlanta Falcons' voluntary OTAs; it's just the latest indication the quarterback prefers a fresh start after his late-year benching in 2024, the same year he signed a $180 million contract to lead the franchise," Benjamin said. "The Falcons have so far been unwilling to eat much of Cousins' inflated contract to facilitate a trade, and few teams still have glaring quarterback needs, but Atlanta will have more reason to grant Cousins his freedom: They can save $27.5 million by trading Cousins after June 1, whereas a pre-June 1 deal would've only netted them $2.5 million in instant savings.

"Outright cutting the veteran would also result in a net loss of $10 million after June 1, whereas a pre-June 1 release would've cost them $35 million...Potential landing spots: Saints, (Pittsburgh Steelers). Prediction: Released by Falcons, then signs with Saints."

If Cousins becomes available, he would immediately become the most interesting veteran quarterback on the open market. The bigger question is whether or not the Falcons will actually cut ties with him, though.

Last year, Cousins started the season with the Falcons but struggled in large part due to injuries and eventually was replaced by Michael Penix Jr. It would be pretty surprising to see him join a franchise that has a potential answer of the future already on the roster in Shough, but there aren't many options out there. Cousins didn't show up for OTAs initially. Now, all eyes are on Atlanta.

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