For the first time since 2018, Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins is set to hit free agency. So where will he be playing in 2024?
While playoff success has eluded Cousins, he is a reliable arm who can get the ball downfield and into the endzone with frequency (and with ease to boot). Through the first eight games of 2023, Cousins had over 2,000 passing yards, 18 touchdown passes and a 103.8 passer rating.
Despite suffering a season-ending injury amid those eight games, he was playing great football at the time and should have no shortage of teams lining up to give him a big-time contract.
But what will those teams be?
You’d think that if the Minnesota Vikings really wanted to bring Cousins back then they would have signed him to a long-term extension already. It feels safe to say that they won’t make the biggest offer.
Meanwhile, you have teams like the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans that have young quarterbacks but just hired new head coaches who might want to bring in their own guys.
Those three teams stand out the most because they have tons of cap space and a pressing need at the quarterback position. We believe it will be one of those three, but that he’ll make the choice to stay in the conference that won’t be nearly as challenging.
The Spun predicts that Cousins will sign with the Atlanta Falcons on a three-year, $125 million contract.
Atlanta plays in the NFC South, which is ripe for the taking, and is now headed by Raheem Morris – who previously served as the defensive backs coach in Washington during Cousins’ formative NFL years.
The Falcons are also in the somewhat unenviable position of having the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While it’s high enough to land an elite player and potentially a quarterback, it’s not so high that they can get the one they absolutely love without having to trade up.
If Atlanta do go quarterback in the draft, they would be wise to let him sit behind Cousins even if it’s for two or more years.
The Falcons seem like the right fit, but are they really the team that will get him?