NFL rumors: Falcons' 'tough' Kirk Cousins trade stance pushed Browns to Joe Flacco

Will the Browns ride with Joe Flacco in 2025?

Perhaps the tea leaves are still reading a trade for Kirk Cousins. But the Cleveland Browns may not be in play. It seems like the Falcons’ tough stance on trading Cousins pushed the Browns in the direction of Joe Flacco, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Browns recently returned to the aging mess that is Joe Flacco, giving him a one-year, $4 million deal. Flacco basically moved to the top of the Browns’ depth chart as Deshaun Watson is expected to miss most, or all, of the 2025 season.

But whether the door closed completely remains to be seen.

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins still on trade block?

Albert Breer said the Browns and Falcons have stayed in touch.

“The idea of it has always made sense,” Breer wrote. “Cleveland’s been in need of a starting quarterback. Atlanta effectively has two of them — Cousins and the 2024 first-rounder the Falcons turned to at the end of last year, Michael Penix Jr. (Browns head coach Kevin) Stefanski also coached Cousins in Minnesota, and his contract situation made him potentially palatable for a team still working around Watson’s guaranteed money over the next two years.”

But the problem with making a deal is the Falcons haven’t been motivated to move Cousins. They view him as a nice fallback option if Penix fails or gets hurt.

“The Falcons have maintained they’re totally comfortable with carrying Cousins and the guaranteed $27.5 million he’s owed on their roster,” Breer wrote. “To the point where they allowed for another $10 million to vest and become fully guaranteed in March. The Browns have mostly played it cool, too. (Not) overreaching to get the quarterback who makes the most sense for them.”

Then, came the deal to get Flacco, who received an incentives package that could total another $9 million.

“That the Browns would be willing to pay Flacco $13 million if he starts and performs for them could be a clue that they weren’t willing to go much beyond that to get Cousins,” Breer wrote. “The Falcons, I’ve heard, have been tough on the idea. (That) they should take on much of Cousins’s salary to facilitate a trade, not wanting to pay down too much of it to “buy” a draft pick.”

And the bottom line seems to be the Browns view Flacco as a near equal to Cousins. He probably isn’t, but the 2025 season may have to tell that story.