The Cleveland Browns are going to have to get very creative this offseason to swing a signing, or a trade, for a starting quarterback. With Deshaun Watson out for the season and as Jameis Winston seems prepared to take on his next opportunity as an analyst, the Browns' quarterback room is suddenly extremely thin.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is simply not the answer for the Browns, and it's unlikely we see Bailey Zappe again with the team. That leaves them no choice but to refill that room through free agency and through the draft. But, when it comes to starting caliber talent at quarterback, free agency will likely be where Cleveland finds an answer.
One target that's been rumored to be on the Browns' radar because of his former relationship to head coach Kevin Stefanski, Kirk Cousins, has seemingly made himself an even cheaper get after recent comments he made on the show Good Morning Football.
Kirk Cousins might have lowered trade value after GMF appearance
On an airing of Good Morning Football, an NFL Network program, Cousins casually mentioned to the hosts of the show that he had been playing through a shoulder injury he had sustained against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. He looked substantially less accurate and reliable for the Atlanta Falcons after that game, which led to his benching for Michael Penix Jr.
"I think there was a little bit of just trying to get my ankle back around the Achilles. But the Achilles itself healed really well. And even then, we were 6-3, playing really well, doing a lot of good things, even if the right ankle wasn't perfect. Nobody is perfect in this league. We're never feeling 100%. So, it didn't really affect me too much," said Cousins in the lead up to the big reveal.
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He added, "But then, against the Saints, I got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow, and from there, kind of dealing with that, it was something I was working through and just never really could get it to where I wanted it."
Cousins emphasized in the interview that his main goal this offseason is to make sure he's 100% healthy, as he doesn't see how he'd be "good" to either Atlanta or any team if he's entering 2025 with any lingering injuries. But, his surprise mention of this arm injury is a pretty big deal for the Falcons' leverage in any trades involving Cousins.
Before telling GMF this information, Atlanta could have held a lot over the head of a team like Cleveland considering they're desperate for a proven, veteran signal caller. Now, the Browns are likely to have leverage in any trade negotiations involving the quarterback considering he'll be recovering from yet another performance-altering injury.