If and when Kirk Cousins is traded from the Atlanta Falcons, it will not appear to happen until after the NFL Draft.
Cousins is looking to play hardball with Atlanta. Sources are reporting that Cousins will look to use the no-trade clause to his advantage. This means he will wait until after the draft to see which team is interested in his services in hopes of not being blindsided by the team choosing a quarterback with the team's first pick after signing him ahead of time.
Cousins is interested in a couple of teams, but wants to wait and see how the draft shakes out before signing the dotted line. Atlanta kept the whispers of drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. quiet behind the scenes. Although it is understandable, he wants to wait and see what happens in the NFL Draft before finishing his career elsewhere.
Atlanta is in no position to release Cousins alone and would need to get something in return for the veteran quarterback with a trade. The team kept Cousins past the payout deadline, so $10 million was paid out to him earlier this month. Atlanta doesn't appear to be bluffing and may be willing to keep Cousins well into the season as a high-paid backup.
The Falcons may also wait until training camp to continue the chess game while every other team plays checkers. Suppose a team were to have a quarterback injured in camp and hadn't previously drafted a quarterback. In that case, they may be willing to inherit some of Cousins' remaining salary out of desperation.
The best Atlanta can hope for as far as a trade goes is to receive a couple of mid-round picks for Cousins. Atlanta will only have five picks in this year's NFL Draft. Cousins wants to start and still feels he can contribute at a high level on any given team, but only one he approves.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 5:13 PM.