Kirk Cousins continues to be linked to teams not named the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. With the team opting to start Michael Penix Jr. to finish up their 2024 season and with Cousins admitting much after the season ended that he was playing through an injury, it just seems like the weird and brief experiment with the former Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders quarterback is over.
Cousins still has stuff left in the tank, though. At 36 years old, Cousins managed to bounce back pretty solidly from an Achilles tear and go 6-4 with the Falcons in 2024 before hurting his shoulder against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. He had thrown for 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions through Week 10, but slipped up after that with a 9:1 INT to TD ratio.
It seems like Cousins will have some suitors on the market this offseason, with the Cleveland Browns standing out as a major one given his past connection to head coach Kevin Stefanski while with the Minnesota Vikings. But, one NFL insider is asking us to pump the brakes on that assumption.
NFL insider predicts Cousins lands with another AFC team
Conor Orr, a Sports Illustrated NFL writer, wrote up predictions for all 32 teams this offseason. For the Miami Dolphins, Orr predicts that they will actually be the AFC team to sign Cousins - not Cleveland - and have him compete for the starting job against Tua Tagovailoa.
"Cousins is a coveted asset among the Shanahan-ites for his decisiveness and processing skills. Much like Aaron Rodgers coming off the broken thumb finale in Green Bay, Cousins is a bit of a distressed asset who, in my opinion, still has some good football ahead of him. Unlike the Falcons, Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins can find a way to work him into the dynamic run game," wrote Orr.
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Tagovailoa had a bit of a rough go in 2024 - getting concussed yet again made it tough for him to get back up to football speed several weeks into the season, and he was eventually sat due to injury for former Browns backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. Tagovailoa, when healthy, is one of the most fun quarterbacks to watch in the league. That's a huge asterisk for him, though.
So, it makes sense to bring in a veteran like Cousins to compete against him, both as motivation and as a great insurance option for Miami if Tagovailoa once again fails to get through a season healthy. The Dolphins, like the Browns, seem one consistently good quarterback away from making the postseason regularly.
However, the Browns continue to make the most sense as a landing spot for Cousins - or any other solid starting quarterback set to become available this offseason. Given their numerous tradable assets and the fact that they seem to be willing to try and keep star Myles Garrett at all costs, they feel the most desperate and ready to go all out to secure a veteran this offseason.