Reporter reveals what Falcons wanted regarding possible Kirk Cousins trade

As of the afternoon of May 14, it certainly seemed as if the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Kirk Cousins were willing to remain attached to each other through the 2025 season even though 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. has replaced Cousins atop Atlanta's depth chart.  

For an article published on Wednesday, Dan Graziano of ESPN shared why the Falcons have held onto Cousins after teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers passed on trading for the veteran ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

"Stubbornness likely had something to do with it," Graziano said. "[The Falcons] signed Cousins for $100M in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn't thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024. And when it came time to talk trade, the Falcons were asking interested teams to pay a significant portion of that remaining $37.5M in guaranteed money. That meant those teams weren't offering the Falcons a return that Atlanta deemed worthwhile."

Cousins' relationship with the Falcons clearly changed once the club grabbed Penix with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 draft less than two months after the 36-year-old left the Vikings to sign with Atlanta as a free agent. Additionally, a report from this past winter indicated some within the Falcons were left upset over the fact they didn't know just how banged up Cousins was during the second half of the 2024 season as Atlanta went from 6-3 to 7-7. 

The Falcons turned to Penix after Week 15 but ultimately missed the playoffs. 

Cousins' contract includes a full no-trade clause, and he presumably won't relocate his family for the second straight offseason unless a team is willing to immediately name him its starter. While the Vikings and Browns have filled their quarterback rooms via other transactions, the Steelers reportedly "remain optimistic that" they will soon have Aaron Rodgers as their starter. 

"If another team's starter gets hurt in minicamp or training camp," Graziano added about Cousins' future, "a fresh market could emerge. But given the way the offseason has gone, it's probably time we took the Falcons at their word when they say they're fine keeping Cousins as the backup in 2025."

As of the middle of May, there was no sign that Cousins would cause any problems for the Falcons this summer. Penix is an unproven commodity who has made just three career regular-season starts, so one wonders how the Atlanta coaching staff will react if the 25-year-old plays poorly across a handful of games this coming fall.