Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is in limbo with the Atlanta Falcons, who benched him last season for Michael Penix Jr. and are moving forward with the younger quarterback.
Last week, Cousins saw the field for the first time since December 2024. Penix struggled in an eventual 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He completed 18 of 36 pass attempts 172 yards and threw two interceptions, leading to Cousins playing cleanup in the fourth quarter.
Penix has played a game manager role in Atlanta early in the season, but it hasn’t gone well.
Through three weeks, he’s averaged 201 yards passing but thrown just one touchdown. He’s completed just 58.6% of his passes (ranking 29th among 31 eligible quarterbacks) and has the fourth-lowest passer rating (71.3) among all starting quarterbacks.
Facing a 1-2 start to the season after the loss to Carolina on Sunday, head coach Raheem Morris was asked about the Falcons quarterback situation and the potential for Cousins to take over.
His response was a brutal reminder and reality check for Cousins.
“Kirk lost his job last year,” Morris said Wednesday, September 24, per ESPN’s Mark Raimondi. “We’re not even close to that with Mike. He had a bad game.”
Morris’ comment comes on the tail of an emphatic “no” on giving Cousins a chance to compete during his post-game news conference on Sunday.
Kirk Cousins Left Hanging by Falcons Amid NFL Trade Rumors
In the second year of his four-year, $180 million contract, Cousins carries a $27.5 million cap hit this season — a reasonable cap hit to take on for a potential trade suitor.
There were seemingly a few teams out there that could benefit from a trade for Cousins entering Week 3. The San Francisco 49ers lost Brock Purdy to a toe injury. The Cincinnati Bengals will be without Joe Burrow long-term. The Vikings even became a subject of trade chatter with J.J. McCarthy out with an ankle injury.
However, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, no team had reached out to the Falcons as of last week.
My understanding is the Falcons would, in fact, trade Kirk Cousins, but are gonna ask for a lot in return. They’re gonna ask for someone to eat some salary and a premium pick,” Rapoport said.
The dilemma with Cousins is Atlanta’s quarterback situation is as precarious as any in the NFL. The cost to acquire is great for any team that is desperate enough to make a midseason change at quarterback, and Atlanta is aware of what they are losing by parting ways with him due to “the unbelievable value Cousins has as their backup quarterback” if Penix were injured, Rapoport added.
Vikings Aimed to Avoid Falcons QB Drama, Letting Cousins Know of Plans to Draft J.J. McCarthy
It bears saying that the quarterback drama unfolding in Atlanta is a situation the Vikings hoped to avoid.
The Vikings were transparent that they would draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 draft when Cousins was weighing whether to re-sign or test free agency.
And while Minnesota has its own version of quarterback drama brewing with Carson Wentz stepping in for McCarthy, the Vikings are not nearly as invested in Wentz, who was signed as a backup just weeks before the start of the season.
Ex-Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Gets Brutal Message From Falcons