The biggest offensive chips to drop in the first wave of free agency this offseason will be: minnesota vikings QB Kirk Cousins. His contract includes a no-trade and no-tag clause, so the Vikings and Cousins must come to an agreement or his time in Minnesota will expire. The main hurdle in negotiations between Minnesota and Cousins is bond money. Cousins had a chance to sign a long-term contract with the Vikings last offseason, but negotiations ended due to guaranteed money.
One of the teams that has consistently emerged as a potential destination for Kirk Cousins is atlanta falcons. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and others reported that the possibility of Cousins moving to Atlanta is on the horizon for both sides.
We have very reliable indications that Kirk Cousins is planning to move his family from Minnesota to Atlanta. https://t.co/ZSlTq9tnMc
— Pro Football Talk (@ProFootballTalk) March 5, 2024
After joining the company Los Angeles Rams With defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and former Rams passing game coordinator Zach Robinson taking over as Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, it’s possible that a Shanahan-style QB could enter Atlanta and find immediate success. Atlanta already has young weapons in running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake Rondon, and tight end Kyle Pitts that will make things easier for any QB. For Cousins, fitting is incredibly simple.
Cousins was forced to miss 2023 with an Achilles injury, but had the best year of his career playing under Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings’ head coach and playcaller from the Los Angeles Rams. In Atlanta, some of Cousins’ language will remain the same as in Minnesota, and he will once again have the opportunity to immediately compete in a contentious division. Additionally, Cousins will likely get protections in his contract that Minnesota may not provide. The amount of guaranteed money Atlanta could offer could exceed what Minnesota could offer, which would make it difficult for Minnesota to match it. His wife is from Alpharetta, Georgia, about 30 minutes from Atlanta. That could be a big factor here as well.
Conversely, the prospect of the Falcons signing Cousins could come with some risk. Cousins, 35, is coming back from a major Achilles injury. Sports science has come a long way in recent years, but the premise of signing an older QB on major guaranteed money following a major injury always carries some risk. Cousins is a great QB who can immediately improve the offense, but it will be difficult to pay Cousins that much until he fully recovers from his injury. Additionally, while Cousins has vastly improved his play under O’Connell, it’s worth asking just how high the ceiling is for Cousins’ Falcon teams. Signing Cousins means Target becomes a serious contender, but can Cousins do that at his age coming off an injury?
If this rumor is true, the Falcons appear to be on track to sign Cousins. We’ll have to wait until free agency begins to see how that plays out.
