Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
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Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports put together a series of "wild NBA-style trade proposals," including one that sends Kirk Cousins to San Francisco.
While the Kirk Cousins trade rumors had slowed down a bit recently, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports put together a series of “wild NBA-style trade proposals” on Monday. Among the proposals, Benjamin included one that sends Cousins to San Francisco.
Atlanta Sends Cousins to San Francisco in Hypothetical Trade
Even though Cousins seems content to play this season as a backup to Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons have still been urged to try to find a trade partner. While there hasn’t been much in the way of concrete news, Benjamin’s proposal provides some fun food for thought.
“These trades will almost certainly never come to fruition, but beyond the shock of the names included, they just might make some sense for all sides … if only NFL teams were aggressive enough to consider them,” Benjamin wrote.
In the spirit of the wild 7-team trade that took the NBA world by storm last week, Benjamin constructed a trade that would involve 3 different quarterbacks changing teams.
Here are the details of the 4-team trade involving Cousins:
49ers get: QB Kirk Cousins (Falcons), 2026 second-round pick (Dolphins), 2026 third-round pick (Saints)
Dolphins get: QB Brock Purdy (49ers)
Saints get: QB Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)
Falcons get: C Matt Hennessy (49ers), 2026 fifth-round pick (Saints)
Given that the 49ers just signed Brock Purdy in May, there is no chance that this trade will happen. But, with training camps about 2 weeks away for almost every team, we need some hypotheticals to keep us entertained.
Benjamin noted that San Francisco just invested heavily in Purdy, signing him to a 5-year, $265 million extension in March. But, a connection between Cousins and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan could lead to a reunion between the two.
“We know Kyle Shanahan has an affinity for his old pal Cousins, and we know Cousins is currently blowing in the wind, awaiting an opportunity as Atlanta’s No. 2,” wrote Benjamin. “The Purdy-to-Cousins swap might be a downgrade in 2025, but adding a couple of early-round picks could help San Francisco replenish its greater infrastructure.”
Falcons Receive Incredibly Underwhelming Return, Help Division Rival
Again, there is less than a zero percent chance that this trade would ever happen. But, the main reason would probably be that this trade would instantly elevate the Saints to a contender for the division, for almost no return. The 49ers would immediately turn this down, as well, considering the draft capital is nowhere near enough to make up for a Purdy-Cousins swap.
The Falcons would be reunited with C Matt Hennessy, who they drafted in the third round in 2020. Hennessy only appeared in 45 total games between 2021 and 2024, including a stint on the Atlanta’s practice squad. But, he could slot in behind Ryan Neuzil for some depth at the position.
With the departure of Drew Dalman for the Bears in free agency, the Falcons are desperate for offensive line depth. But, I don’t know if they’re this desperate.
The real return in the trade would be an extra fifth-round pick. That’s not the worst-case scenario for what’s projected to be a strong draft next year. The Falcons traded away their 2026 first-rounder and their fifth-rounder to get James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts this year. So, they would be happy to bring in more draft capital.
The trade makes much more sense for the Saints. Somehow, the Saints would only be giving up a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2026 in return for Tua Tagovailoa. I understand the injury concerns with Tua, but that’s arguable a better return than the Falcons would get for Cousins.
New Orleans enters the season with their quarterback room in a state of uncertainty. After dealing with several injuries, Derek Carr missed 7 games in 2024, including the final 4 games of the season.
Spencer Rattler stepped in as the starter in Carr’s absence in 2024, with Jake Haener serving as his backup. Before losing Derek Carr to retirement on May 10, the Saints drafted QB Tyler Shough with the No. 40 pick. Shough spent 7 years at 3 different schools during his college career.
That included serving as Justin Herbert‘s backup for 2 years at Oregon. Herbert is already entering his 6th season in the NFL. Shough will turn 26 on the day of the Saints’ Week 4 game against the Bills.
Overall, while the Falcons would be getting Cousins’ contract off their books, the return is about as disappointing as could be. But, that’s why it’s included on the list of wild trade proposals. There could still be a deal coming this offseason, but it’s looking more likely that Cousins will remain as Penix’s backup in 2025.