Pair of AFC South Floated as Potential Kirk Cousins Destinations

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. With that, the music around quarterbacks this offseason has stopped.

And Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins doesn't have a chair.

With Rodgers signing in Pittsburgh, it's now probable to very likely that Cousins will actually be the backup for new starter Michael Penix Jr.

The only alternative is to wait. The Falcons were already waiting, hoping a suitor such as the Steelers or Cleveland Browns would emerge for Cousins.

Now, the Falcons have to wait for a contender to sustain a quarterback injury. Fortunately for the Falcons, two teams are already dealing with quarterback ailments this spring.

Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud and Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson have each had shoulder issues during offseason workouts. With that in mind, pundits began suggesting each of those teams as possible landing spots for Cousins after the Steelers signed Rodgers.

Bleacher Report's Paul Kasabian named the Colts on his list of potential Cousins suitors.

"The Indianapolis Colts' current quarterback competition is between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Unfortunately, Richardson is currently sidelined with an aggravation of the AC joint in his right shoulder. He notably suffered a sprain of that AC joint in 2023, keeping him out for the rest of the campaign, his rookie year," wrote Kasabian.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Thursday that he wouldn't put a timetable on Richardson's return.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has also tried to downplay Stroud's shoulder ailment. But CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin proposed Houston as a potential Cousins suitor.

"The Texans insist C.J. Stroud's absence from practice at initial organized team activities (OTAs) is nothing to be concerned about, attributing the quarterback's limitations to general shoulder soreness. That may be true," Benjamin wrote. "We've also seen plenty of teams downplay offseason ailments over the years, only to crumble as a result of them later.

"Shoulder soreness for a quarterback? That's not ideal. Especially with Stroud coming off a sophomore slump of a 2024 season.

"Cousins would have to accept an initial backup role in Houston, but the Texans could use better insurance with Case Keenum gone, leaving Davis Mills as the only proven reserve. As a bonus, Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson previously worked with Cousins in Minnesota."

Both possibilities have their intrigue but also barriers to actually happening.

Richardson has dealt with shoulder problems before, so his issues are the most concerning. But the Colts signed Daniel Jones this offseason as quarterback insurance, so their interest in Cousins may be minimal to none.

As far as the Texans go, it's really too early to suggest Stroud's injury is serious enough that the Houston needs a better backup quarterback.

The best situation for the Falcons this summer is if a Super Bowl contender loses their starting quarterback for the entire season. Unwilling to give up on this fall, that team would then have to pay top dollar for Cousins.

The best example of this happening is the Minnesota Vikings trading for Sam Bradford in 2016. The Vikings lost Teddy Bridgewater for the season to a serious knee injury in August and then gave up multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder, to the Philadelphia Eagles for Bradford.

Cousins is highly unlikely to yield a first-rounder for Atlanta. But the Falcons would love a Day 2 selection.

The Texans and Colts aren't desperate like the Vikings were in 2016. But that doesn't mean they can't become desperate or at least interested in Cousins over the summer if their quarterbacks continue to deal with shoulder problems.