Kirk Cousins, Falcons
Getty
Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Minnesota Vikings will host the Atlanta Falcons in Minneapolis for the second year in a row on Sunday night, though former QB Kirk Cousins will be in a different role this time around.
Cousins departed Minnesota for $180 million deal from Atlanta during the 2024 offseason. He started 14 games for the Falcons last year, leading the team to a 7-7 record. His second-to-last start of the campaign came against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 8. Minnesota won that contest 42-21, intercepting Cousins twice despite surrendering 344 passing yards to the Falcons offense.
Atlanta replaced Cousins with rookie Michael Penix Jr. two weeks later, and it will be Penix who starts against the Vikings on “Sunday Night Football,” while Cousins is unlikely to play barring an injury of some sort.
Cousins was a candidate to fill the QB2 role behind J.J. McCarthy over the offseason, with several analysts floating trade proposals complemented by explanations of why such a move might make sense. However, the price to trade for the 37-year-old veteran and the potential conflict his presence might have caused within the locker room, the organization as a whole and the fanbase if McCarthy struggled led Minnesota to go with a cheaper and younger option in Carson Wentz.
However, that does not mean Cousins won’t get a shot to start elsewhere in the NFC via a trade this season — perhaps sooner than later. The San Francisco 49ers will be without Brock Purdy for up to five weeks and may well be motivated to make a move for Cousins with first-round bust Mac Jones set to start against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Should such a move come down, it isn’t inconceivable Cousins could square off against the Vikings come the postseason next January.
49ers May Be Looking for Viable Starting QB Like Kirk Cousins as Early as Next Week
Brock Purdy
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
The NFC West division is a tough one to call, with all four teams potentially good enough to win it outright or sneak into a late wildcard spot with nine or 10 wins on the year.
San Francisco began the 2025 campaign as the odds-on favorites to win the division over the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, though only by a slim margin. Most analysts agreed that injury luck would play a significant role in determining which NFC West teams were viable playoff contenders come the second half of the season, and the Niners have already been hit hard by health issues again following a nightmare of an injury scenario in 2024.
Purdy is battling problems with his non-throwing shoulder and a toe. Meanwhile, star tight end George Kittle is on IR with a hamstring issue he suffered in Week 1, which means he will miss at least the next month.
The 49ers are 1-0 after eking out a win over the Seattle Seahawks, but it’s entirely possible the team will be hunting a viable starting QB as early as next week — all depending on how Jones plays against a Saints team projected by most to be among the worst groups in the NFL in 2025.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said publicly last week that Purdy’s absence will have the team on the lookout for another signal-caller. And if San Francisco drops its Week 2 contest in New Orleans, or even comes close, it may be looking to make an aggressive move to replace Purdy now as well as provide insurance against potential future injury down the line.
Salary Concerns Biggest Hurdle to 49ers Trading With Falcons for Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins, Falcons
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report authored a trade proposal on Friday, in which the 49ers would send the Falcons edge rusher Bryce Huff and a conditional fifth-round pick in return for Cousins.
The potential issue is that Cousins’ contract includes a no-trade clause, and there may not be many teams for which he’d waive it. The San Francisco 49ers, however, might be one of them. This hypothetical trade would reunite Cousins with Kyle Shanahan, potentially giving the QB a prime opportunity to revitalize his NFL stock.
During the offseason, the 49ers traded a conditional 5th-round pick that can become a 4th-rounder based on performance to the Eagles for pass rusher Bryce Huff. They could flip Huff and a fourth- or fifth-round pick — whichever ends up not going to Philly — to Atlanta for Cousins.
The move would clear $27.5 million in cap space for the Falcons and should be palatable to Cousins, who worked with Shanahan in Washington for years. Furthermore, Cousins would get a chance to start right away and play for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations.
San Francisco would face the biggest concern, spending that kind of money on a quarterback who may only start for one month and remain with the team for one season. That said, every hypothetical trade that saw the Vikings, or some other franchise, attain Cousins included the Falcons paying between $12-$17.5 million of the QB’s base salary in 2025.
If Atlanta is willing to do that and Jones struggles in New Orleans, a deal in which the 49ers acquire Cousins could happen fast.