Shortly after the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. via the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, reporters and analysts noted that Atlanta could make Kirk Cousins available to other clubs following the ongoing season.
For a piece published Wednesday, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano suggested those running the Falcons are keeping their options open regarding their quarterback situation with the first-place club at 6-5 coming off its bye.
"The next six games could determine a lot about Cousins' future," Fowler said. "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."
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed this past offseason. Per Pro Football Reference, the veteran, who turned 36 years old back in August, began Wednesday ranked 20th in the NFL among qualified players with a 56.8 adjusted QBR, 13th with a 96.6 passer rating and fourth with an average of 255.2 passing yards per game for the campaign. Over his first 11 contests with the Falcons, Cousins tossed 17 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
While Graziano pointed out that Cousins would "be an interesting veteran pickup for a team that thinks it's close" in March 2025, Fowler added that he "can't think of a natural fit right now" because Cousins would probably prefer to join a contender rather than a team in the middle of a rebuild. That's important, as Cousins' deal includes a full no-trade clause.
Penix turns 25 years old in May, but there's nevertheless little reason to believe the Falcons would show Cousins the door if he guided the club to a postseason berth and a playoff win.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the NFL website gave Atlanta a 68 percent chance to qualify for the upcoming postseason tournament. Those odds could improve to 82 percent if the Falcons defeat the 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium this coming Sunday.
On Wednesday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Falcons as 2.5-point underdogs for that matchup.
