Kirk Cousins has suitors this offseason, with both the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams having taken a look at the veteran quarterback to be their backup for the 2026 season
08:22 ET, 31 Mar 2026
Kirk Cousins
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Kirk Cousins is drawing interest from both the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams(Image: Getty)
Kirk Cousins has drawn interest from both the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams, after both teams admitted they had discussed the veteran quarterback internally.
The 2026 Annual League Meeting is taking place this week in Phoenix, Arizona, with Rams head coach Sean McVay already making headlines for dismissing a proposed rule change. Denver Broncos owner Greg Penner also provided an update on Bo Nix's health at the event, while New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft explained his thinking on how the NFL would implement an 18-game regular season.
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Meanwhile, Cousins' future is uncertain. The 37-year-old is a free agent after being released by the Atlanta Falcons, despite signing a four-year, $180 million deal with them in March 2024.
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He saw playing time last season when Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL, with Cousins throwing 10 touchdowns to five interceptions in 10 appearances for Atlanta, who also went 5-3 with him as their starter.
However, as the offseason began, Atlanta announced it would release Cousins, instead opting to move forward with Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, whom they signed after his release by the Miami Dolphins.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws the ball before an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
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Atlanta released Kirk Cousins prior to the start of the new league year(Image: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
It is unclear where Cousins will land, but he has drawn interest from both the Packers and the Rams. Green Bay lost its 2024 and 2025 season backup, Malik Willis, to free agency after he agreed to join the Dolphins following some impressive performances when starter Jordan Love had been injured.
"Yeah, we've discussed a lot of those options," said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst when asked about Cousins and Green Bay's backup situation. "Obviously, that's a guy who's got a lot of pelts on the wall in this league so we've certainly discussed all those thing."
Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings discusses with head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers after the game at Lambeau Field on September 15, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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Cousins and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, pictured here in 2019, previously worked together during their time in Washington(Image: Getty Images)
Should Green Bay sign Cousins, he would return to the NFC North, where he previously spent six seasons as the Minnesota Vikings starter. He would also reunite with head coach Matt LaFleur, who was Cousins' quarterback coach for two years while they were with Washington.
And should he join the Rams to back up 2025 MVP Matt Stafford, Cousins would also be reunited with a former coach in the form of McVay, who was his offensive coordinator in Washington from 2014 to 2016.
While McVay explained at the Annual League Meeting that he hopes Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles' backup for the last two seasons, returns for the 2026 campaign, he name-dropped Cousins as a quarterback the Rams would have an interest in signing.
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"Hey, I'd love to have Jimmy Garoppolo back with us," McVay said, via the Rams website. "That's a big deal for us. He's earned the right to be able to take his time and do whatever he wants. Is there an opportunity to explore, if it's not Jimmy, [like] Kirk Cousins?
"Of course. I'd love to be able to be able to see what that looks like. So those are two guys we've talked about."
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McVay added, "Those are things that we're very interested in possibly exploring, but again, it's really premature. I know Kirk has some other options and opportunities as well, but he's a guy that I have familiarity with, history and a lot of reverence for because of the gratitude from our experiences together."