While the NFL offseason is still months away, with plenty of football left in the 2024 campaign, it hasn't stopped trade rumors from emerging.
On Saturday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could end up being traded in the offseason, depending on how the team's final six games play out.
According to the NFL insider, if the slumping Falcons, who are on a two-game slide, continue to struggle, it's possible they could move on from Cousins after the season ends.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in the previous offseason. However, with the team also taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft, trading the veteran quarterback wouldn't be out of the question for Atlanta.
"The next six games could determine a lot about Cousins' future,"" Fowler wrote. "He had shown the ability to get hot, throwing for at least three touchdowns in three of his first nine games with the Falcons before the recent two-game slide. I expect Atlanta to have a defined plan for Cousins that maximizes the passing game coming off the bye. But to your point, the results have been pretty good but not optimal."
If the Falcons decide to trade Kirk Cousins, Fowler said that the 36-year-old QB "would have a trade market."
However, the ESPN reporter expressed his belief that Cousins would "prefer a contender" should he be moved.
Of course, as mentioned, the Falcons could very well keep Cousins if he performs well in their final games of 2024.
They are 6-5 so far and remain atop the NFC South, one game ahead of the second-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta faces the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13, with matchups against the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers also scheduled to cap off the campaign.
