Kirk Cousins just wants to stay a starter.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins may be playing chess with his no-trade clause, but a decision will have to be made soon.
More likely than not, Cousins will not attend Atlanta's voluntary OTAs, which start on April 21st. Falcons coach Raheem Morris stated that "If he did, he would be welcomed with open arms." However, it appears that Cousins is indeed playing hardball.
Cousins wants to start and may be waiting for a path to open up after the NFL Draft, and evaluating which teams will draft a quarterback and what trades may occur within the draft timeframe.
If a trade were to present itself along the way, Morris would say, "It's a business decision," according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. "What's best for Falcons. We won't hold him back if the opportunity presents itself. He's made it clear he'd like to be a starter."
Several options are at play for Cousins, but it appears that he will need to either wait until training camp and see if a QB on an opposing team suffers an injury, meaning he also risks staying in Atlanta and being the backup to Michael Penix Jr. Alternatively, he will need to waive the no-trade clause and settle for a team that currently needs his services, regardless of where that may be.
Cleveland may be the only option if Cousins wants out of Atlanta quickly, but it remains to be seen how much of the dead money owed to Cousins will be absorbed by his new team. The Browns admitted that Deshaun Watson was a "failed experiment" and do not look to have faith in Kenny Pickett to lead them to new heights.
