In the midst of the tragedy and havoc caused by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, sports teams have come together to lend a helping hand. All 12 professional sports organizations in L.A. and Orange County across various sports have pledged a combined donation of more than $8 million to help those devastated by the fires. The NFL and its teams have also come forward with a $5 million donation to support affected communities through various organizations and now the Falcons are the latest team to contribute to the relief efforts.

The fires across the Los Angeles area have left at least 24 people dead, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and scorched more than 60 square miles. The wildfires which first engulfed the Pacific Palisades on January 7, continue to burn in Southern California with a reported 88,000 people still under evacuation orders in the LA County.

With authorities still battling against the fires and weather, there have been efforts to provide critical support. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is one of those who has stepped up in these testing times, through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, which is based in Atlanta.

The foundation has donated $500,000 to the California Community Foundation to aid wildfire relief efforts. According to their message on social media, the funds will be aimed at aid and critical recovery measures for survivors and first responders.

The Blank Foundation shared the news on their official Instagram page on Monday. “Our hearts are with all those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. In response to the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area, the Blank Foundation is making a $500,000 donation to the California Community Foundation’s (@calfund) Wildfire Recovery Fund.

The Fund provides critical recovery and long-term resilience-building support. It aims to restore the lives of the most affected and underserved populations and collaborates with organizations that provide emergency aid to wildfire survivors and first responders.”

They also urged others to come forward and learn about their pledge mentioning, “To donate and learn more, visit ambff.org/CFFpledge or click the link in our bio.”

The fires continue to pose a danger and County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath has said that the situation is “very dangerous for the next 24 hours,” due to the high winds expected to hit the area. Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass confirmed on Monday that she signed an executive directive that will help with the rebuilding efforts.

“We want to begin to think about how we rebuild the massive destruction that I saw from the air, we don’t want people burdened by red tape and bureaucracy, so my executive directive addresses that,” she said. The directive will take action to make 1,400 habitable units available, while two disaster relief centers will help people provide documentation and there will be medical and mental health support available.

This will help the efforts of the sports teams in Los Angeles and Orange County. Angel City FC, (NWSL),  Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), LA Lakers, LA Clippers (NBA), Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings (NHL), LA Galaxy, LAFC (MLS) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) have all come up with donations and are also helping their community through their own foundations and partnerships.

In the NFL, apart from the Rams and the Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Houston Texans, and the NFL Foundation have each pledged $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the American Red Cross, and other organizations helping to fight against the horrific natural disaster.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, sharing his support said, “We are heartbroken over the devastating losses experienced by so many in the Los Angeles area and inspired by the heroism of first responders and residents who have supported their neighbors. The NFL family is committed to working with the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams to support their local communities in their time of need.”

The Atlanta Falcons become the latest team to contribute to the relief and rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of buzz around the Falcons‘ NFL lately. With trade rumors flying around, people are wondering if they might be planning a big move for their QB Kirk Cousins next season.

Is Kirk Cousins about to say goodbye?

The Falcons’ season didn’t take off as they had hoped when they splashed the cash to bring Kirk Cousins on board. Sadly, the team scraped together only eight wins and missed the post-season. They finished second in the NFC South, but only thanks to the Panthers and Saints being even worse. To remind you, Arthur Blank’s team, after signing Cousins for $180 million last March, also picked Michael Penix Jr. in the draft. The move caught everyone off guard. Some even called out the Falcons, saying they did Cousins dirty. 

Anyway, the former Vikings star couldn’t bring the team any success. This season, the veteran QB only racked up 3,508 yards with just 18 TDs. In Week 16, the Falcons benched Cousins, and Penix stepped up as QB1. But by then, the season was pretty much a lost cause. Seeing the potential in their young QB, Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons might be looking to trade Cousins. But it won’t be easy.

The veteran QB has the option to reject trades, which could complicate things. At this point, though, a release might be the best option for him. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton has thrown out some NFL trade predictions for the next few months. One of the scenarios he suggested is the Falcons sending Cousins to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott.

However, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot seems content to keep Cousins with the franchise. “Kirk is a great man, and he’s been a great support for Mike. We are very comfortable moving forward with him as the backup,” said Terry.

But the big question remains: does 36-year-old want to play as a backup QB, or does he still want to start as QB1? If he does, there will be opportunities. The Jets, for example, need a QB if Aaron Rodgers chooses not to return (which is looking likely). The real question is whether they’ll go for another veteran QB or take a chance on someone younger. So many questions are still up in the air. Guess we’ll just have to wait and watch.