Let’s go back to March 13th, 2024. This was probably the only day Kirk Cousins was the happiest player in the NFL last year. At 35, he had just received a mammoth 4-year, $180M contract from the Atlanta Falcons. But the series of events that happened soon after turned Cousins’ world upside down. Within the next month, without even notifying Cousins, the Falcons shocked the NFL by picking Michael Penix Jr. in the first round. Penix Jr.’s arrival was always going to add an extra layer of pressure on Cousins. But he held on. Threw for franchise record 509 yards in week 5, earned Offensive Player of the Week in week 8. Everything was going according to plan until week 9 arrived, and Cousins’ world began to fall apart slowly. Now, he and the Falcons are planning for a divorce with no easy resolution in sight.

Cousins was benched in week 16 after throwing for a season-low 112 yards the previous week. At the time of his benching, Cousins led the league in interceptions (16) and tied for the league-high fumbles (13). So, the news of him being sacked wasn’t at all surprising. As expected, Penix Jr. took over and showed some good things in his 3 starts. Now, prior to the new season, Cousins is the most expensive backup in the NFL. But the Falcons have still publicly stated they are not trading him.

However, privately, they are discussing how to get him off the books. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes “Atlanta has asked that any acquiring team pay $20M of the $45M guarantees still left in Cousins’ contract”. Without any surprise, none are willing to do so. But the Falcons are expecting the situation to change after the draft. Whether or not any franchise gets their preferred rookie QB can lead them to inquire about Cousins.

The Steelers or the Vikings are being touted as possible suitors to Cousins. But again, they are not willing to match the $20M asking price. Adam Schefter predicts they are willing to pay close to $10 million. That’s it. There’s also another thing the Falcons are discussing privately: the draft compensation. You need to remember that Cousins doesn’t have a trade clause in his contract. So, any deal needs to be discussed thoroughly between the parties. As for the Falcons, they feel that the more any franchise is willing to pay, the lower the compensation will be. And vice versa.

This means there’s also a sense of urgency in shipping him off. Falcons only have 5 picks in this year’s draft. And obviously, those aren’t enough to fill the gaps in their roster. At No. 15, the Falcons are expected to pick a top pass rusher. Atlanta hasn’t had a player record more than 7 sacks in the last 5 years. So, Atlanta is hoping it can stockpile some compensatory picks and also protect itself from this Cousins headache. Falcons have already churned out $100M to Cousins. That’s why they are not feeling too enthusiastic about paying more. But only time will tell how much the Falcons can recoup from an already shambolic Cousins tenure.

As for the Steelers, who are still in the market looking for a veteran QB. They have just received a stark warning against Kirk Cousins.

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers asked to ignore Kirk Cousins

Pittsburgh is already stuck in a stagnant situation with Aaron Rodgers. Even after patiently waiting for over a month, showing clear interest, Rodgers doesn’t seem to care. He is still pondering what the best choice is for him: the Steelers or retirement. So, with the Steelers’ QB room still lacking a strong starter. They are also looking at Cousins, if not Rodgers. But that’s something LeSean McCoy doesn’t want. The former Super Bowl-winning running back said, “You’re getting no production with expensive payments. Cousins is an expensive payment that’s not gonna be productive. His days are over.”

In his 14 starts last year, Cousins threw for only 3,508 passing yards, 18 TDs, and a league-high 16 INTs. His struggles only worsened in the latter half of the season before getting benched. Cousins had a 1:8 TD: INT ratio in the last 5 of his games. So, obviously, those aren’t the numbers that can make anyone say, ‘yeah, he can be a worthy starter.’ McCoy also questioned the Steelers why they aren’t starting fresh instead of investing in a pricey veteran. “You’re gonna get an expensive quarterback that’s not gonna be productive, so why not get a rookie that’s not as expensive?”

To be honest, the Steelers at No.21 don’t have a clear route in drafting a top QB. Cam Ward will be off to the Titans. Shedeur Sanders’ stock may be falling, but the Saints are all over him. So, only a miracle could probably help them land a QB of their choice. Maybe that’s why the Steelers are hovering around veteran QBs. But if neither Rodgers nor Cousins makes the cut. The Steelers may have to ride out 2025 with a rookie signal-caller instead.