Are Falcons actively searching for a Kirk Cousins buyer?

The Atlanta Falcons may or may not want an acquiring club to pay "$20M of the $45M worth of guarantees left on" the contract for veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins now that Atlanta has Michael Penix Jr. serving as its full-time starter. 

Following the conclusion of the 2025 draft, it seems no franchise is in a hurry to do the Falcons any favors. 

"We have to be patient there, and we always, we’re open with not just talking about Kirk, but with really anybody on our roster," Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said during a Tuesday appearance on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, as shared by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "You know, we have a lot of those calls with — I’ve probably talked to already six or seven GMs since the draft ended, and they’re talking about their roster. We’re talking about our roster because after you get through the draft, that shifts some things in terms of needs and surplus and all that."

It's difficult to imagine any of those "six or seven GMs" offering Fontenot any hope that a trade for Cousins is imminent. In the days leading up to the draft, multiple stories hinted that the Pittsburgh Steelers or Cleveland Browns could reach out to the Falcons regarding the 36-year-old. 

The Steelers now reportedly "firmly believe that" they will soon introduce Aaron Rodgers as their next starter. Meanwhile, the Browns have veteran Joe Flacco, 2022 first-round choice Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel and fellow first-year pro Shedeur Sanders in a crowded quarterback room. 

Talk about the Minnesota Vikings possibly embracing a reunion with Cousins is only speculation as long as the Vikings continue preparing 2024 first-round selection J.J. McCarthy to serve as their new QB1 after he spent his rookie season recovering from a full meniscus repair. Even if the New Orleans Saints wanted to play Cousins over rookie Tyler Shough (assuming Derek Carr misses time due to his shoulder injury), history suggests two division rivals won't come to terms on a deal regarding a starting quarterback. 

"...We’re always patient with those types of things because if something comes to us with Kirk or any other player that makes sense and it’s going to help this team, then we’re going to be aggressive and we’re going to do it," Fontenot added during his comments. "And if it’s not something that’s going to ultimately help this team, we always have to ask that question: Is it the best for the Atlanta Falcons or this organization? And if it is, we’re going to be willing to do it. But all that communication is always ongoing."

Fontenot waiting for a different team to lose a starter to an injury could make for an awkward situation within the Falcons, as Cousins' relationship with his current employer hasn't been the same since Atlanta made Penix a first-round draft pick last spring. At this point, Fontenot may need Rodgers to reject the Steelers for the Falcons to get anything in return for Cousins before the 2025 season gets underway.