Report expands on if Browns could target Falcons' Kirk Cousins to compete with Deshaun Watson

Almost immediately after the Atlanta Falcons benched veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins ahead of Week 16 of the ongoing season, multiple reporters and analysts linked him with a potential offseason move to the Cleveland Browns in part because he had Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when both were with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. 

For a lengthy piece published on Thursday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Daniel Oyefusi shared that a team source said "any veteran with starter's talent" such as Cousins "will be evaluated by the Browns" as they look to find competition for 2024 Week 1 starter Deshaun Watson amid Watson's recovery from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in October. 

"Atlanta owes Cousins $27.5M in guarantees and is expected to cut him before a $10M roster bonus is due in March," Fowler and Oyefusi explained. "Cousins had one of his best NFL seasons under Stefanski's playcalling in 2019, with a 69.1% completion percentage and 26 touchdowns to six interceptions. Getting him for the league minimum and channeling some of that pre-injury efficiency -- while also potentially drafting and developing a young quarterback -- could be a winning strategy for Cleveland."

The Pittsburgh Steelers embraced a similar approach when they signed veteran Russell Wilson to a team-friendly contract last March. Many thought at the time Wilson could no longer start for a playoff-caliber team, but he ultimately helped the Steelers earn a postseason berth and could soon receive a contract extension from the club.

As for Cousins, he played poorly across a stretch of five games coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in October 2023 before he was benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. last month. While Cleveland likely won't escape what's left of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract it gave Watson in March 2022 before 2026 at the earliest, it's believed he won't be promised the starting job whenever he's cleared to resume practicing. 

Even though the Browns will enter the final weekend of the regular season at 3-13, all signs point to team owner Jimmy Haslam running it back with both Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry for another year. Meanwhile, former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum thinks Cousins could guide the 2025 Browns to a division title.

In the end, Cousins and Stefanski could decide they need each other, assuming the Falcons part ways with the 36-year-old this winter.