The Cleveland Browns have a severe quarterback issue to resolve before the 2025 campaign. One NFL insider still believes there is enough smoke around one prominent veteran to suggest a move could be imminent.
Cleveland is still paying a heavy price for the Deshaun Watson acquisition. It was a gamble of epic proportions that blew up in the franchise's face. It'll also go down as one of the worst trades and easily the worst contract in league history unless there's a monumental turnaround.
With Watson expected to miss the 2025 season with an Achilles tear, there's a good chance the former Clemson star has played his final game for the Browns. Kenny Pickett is the only other signal-caller under contract right now, so another move or two is coming before attention turns to organized team activities.
The Browns hold the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. It's widely regarded that Cam Ward will go first to the Tennessee Titans, leaving Cleveland with its choice of defensive stars or taking a swing with Shedeur Sanders. There's also growing speculation that a potential trade for Kirk Cousins isn't completely dead in the water despite the Atlanta Falcons recently paying him a $10 million roster bonus.
Atlanta is moving forward with Michael Penix Jr. as its starter. That makes Cousins an extremely expensive backup, so the Browns could exploit this by making an offer to reunite the veteran signal-caller with head coach Kevin Stefanski.
NFL insider believes Browns' trade for Kirk Cousins could still happen
Dianna Russini from The Athletic fanned the flames based on what she's heard at the NFL league meetings. The respected insider didn't know how far along the negotiations were, but she wouldn't be shocked if an agreement was reached at some stage.
"Is that a real thing for Atlanta to trade Kirk [Cousins] to Cleveland? From my sense, yes. I don't know how far along it is right now. I just know there's enough smoke around this and enough conversations being had that this would not be a surprising move. Knowing Kevin Stefanski coached Kirk Cousins when he was in Minnesota, it makes a lot of sense on why that would work."Dianna Russini
Based on the conversations I've been hearing, it would not be surprising to see Kirk Cousins end up in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/bqZ1PZi4AJ
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 1, 2025
This makes a ton of sense. Cousins and Stefanski know each other well from their time together with the Minnesota Vikings, so the transition would be seamless. It also provides Cleveland with a proven performer capable of steadying the ship within a highly competitive AFC North. Something Watson couldn't accomplish during his disastrous spell under center.
The Falcons have been noncommittal when approached about Cousins this offseason. They didn't want to eat substantial dead money by outright releasing the player, but Penix is the future. Raheem Morris isn't expecting him for OTAs, which only raises speculation about his status.
Atlanta should want to get Cousins off the books. The Browns only have $18.54 million in available salary-cap space right now, so the financial aspect could prove complicated. Even so, this looks like the best-remaining option for Cleveland in its quest to solve an ever-growing concern at football's most important positon.
It'll be fascinating to see how things play out. But whether it's Cousins or someone else, the Browns have to do something with jobs on the line.