Kirk Cousins has been reporting to camp for the Atlanta Falcons, ending some speculation around him and the teams' relationship since they benched the veteran for then-rookie signal caller Michael Penix Jr. Injury, inconsistent play, and an absurd number of turnovers led to that benching after a very promising start to the year for Cousins.
His contract and no-trade clause also make him next to impossible to move, which is probably another big reason as to why the Falcons have yet to move off of Cousins despite them likely all-in on Penix as their QB1 to begin 2025. But, that hasn't stopped several teams - including the Cleveland Browns - from inquiring about Cousins' availability in a trade.
With the draft approaching this weekend, it seems more likely than ever that Cousins will be moved. And, according to The Athletic's senior reporter Dianna Russini, it seems like the Browns are still very much in on trying to trade for Cousins during the draft.
Cousins still on the table for Browns
Russini reported just one day prior to the draft that the Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota Vikings were seen as teams still pursuing a trade with Atlanta for Cousins. With the Vikings as a less likely option, it seems like this is a very quiet race between two AFC North rivals for the veteran QB's services.
"It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year. If a trade were to happen, I’d expect it to go down on Saturday," added Russini in her reporting on this interest.
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Cousins' big contract coupled with his reported preference to land with a team where he's a sure-fire starter makes things complicated for Cleveland, specifically. They're in cap space purgatory thanks to Deshaun Watson's contract on the books in 2025, and they're likely to take a quarterback at some point in the draft. The Steelers are in the same boat.
If Atlanta is suddenly willing to take on half of Cousins' $40 million salary in 2025, then it might be a different story for the Browns. While they've just signed Joe Flacco and have a quarterback competition set to kick off between him and Kenny Pickett (not exactly inspiring), it makes sense to add either Cousins or a rookie to the room. But, maybe not both.
While Cousins can still sling it when healthy, it just feels like a better bet for the Browns to stick with their picks and build out their depth.