Falcons seeking $20,000,000 financial favor from teams interested in Kirk Cousins trade: Report

Kirk Cousins started 14 games for the Atlanta Falcons before he was benched for the rest of the 2024 regular season. In his place came Michael Penix Jr., and the Washington Huskies product locked down the spot during the business end of the campaign. The Falcons have since indicated their interest in continuing with Penix Jr. as their franchise quarterback, and Cousins is seemingly at a crossroads.

According to Adam Schefter, the Falcons are discreetly entertaining offers for the former Pro Bowler. The report states that the Falcons are asking interested teams to pay $20 million of the $45 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins' contract.

However, at the moment, no team is on board with the idea. With the 2025 draft a few days away, Cousins' future with the Falcons could get clearer.

According to Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings or the Pittsburgh Steelers might be willing to pay about $10 million. However, due to Cousins' no-trade clause, he'll ultimately have the final say on his potential destination.

How did Kirk Cousins perform in 2024?

Kirk Cousins joined the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year, $180 million contract after spending the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He was fresh off an injury-riddled final season with the Vikings, and it was a minor surprise that the Falcons opted to give him that big of a deal fresh off a significant injury.

His deal raised further questions when the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 record after their first nine fixtures. However, it went downhill from there. The Falcons lost four straight games to decimate their playoff hopes virtually. It was then that the Falcons decided to bench him in favor of Penix Jr.

Cousins ended his first season in Atlanta with 3,508 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career high 16 interceptions in 14 games. The Falcons were 7-7 in games he started and ultimately missed the postseason.