The Atlanta Falcons are in a very interesting position with quarterback Kirk Cousins, as he's likely to start the season as a backup behind Michael Penix Jr. despite having three seasons left on a four-year, $180 million contract.
Of course, one option for the team is to try and trade him, but that becomes increasingly unlikely since Cousins has a no-trade clause baked into his contract and many do not want to take on that amount of money.
That's why in an article for CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin predicts that the Falcons will designate the quarterback as a post-June 1 cut, which ends up leading him to sign with the New Orleans Saints.
"The Falcons have so far been unwilling to eat much of Cousins' inflated contract to facilitate a trade, and few teams still have glaring quarterback needs, but Atlanta will have more reason to grant Cousins his freedom... Outright cutting the veteran would also result in a net loss of $10 million after June 1, whereas a pre-June 1 release would've cost them $35 million," Benjamin wrote.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Of course, after the abrupt retirement announcement of Derek Carr, the Saints find themselves in an equally interesting quarterback dilemma as the Falcons, with rookie Tyler Shough and second-year man Spencer Rattler competing for the starting job.
Last season, Rattler appeared in seven games with six starts and wasn't necessarily impressive, completing 130-of-228 passes for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions and a 70.4 passer rating.
Of course, Shough has no experience at the NFL level, while his only eye-popping season in college came in 2024 with Louisville, completing 244-of-389 passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
With that in mind, this scenario for the Saints could prove to be a good outcome, because throughout his 13-year career, Cousins has often been a great option, earning a total of four Pro Bowl appearances.
However, there's no doubt he's coming off a disappointing season with the Falcons, completing 303-of-453 passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and an 88.6 passer rating.