Falcons QB Kirk Cousins linked to 3 possible NFC trade destinations with one caveat

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins linked to 3 possible NFC trade destinations with one caveat originally appeared on The Sporting News

It seems abundantly clear that Kirk Cousins’ time as a starter for the Atlanta Falcons is over. Even though he was put in to relieve a struggling Michael Penix Jr. in Week 4's loss to the Panthers, head coach Raheem Morris has made it clear, Cousins is not his starter.

When asked by reporters this week if Cousins would get a shot to compete for his old job, Morris was pretty emphatic with his answer.

“Kirk lost his job last year. We’re not even close to that with Mike [Penix],” Morris said. “He had a bad day. We had a bad day. Mike is our quarterback. We got a lot of confidence in Mike. We’re moving forward with Mike. Mike’s the guy.”

Now, does that mean Cousins is on the trade block? Not necessarily, but USA Today’s Nate Davis said that a desperate team could come calling, naming three specifically.

"Acquiring him would be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation," Davis wrote. "It would also require ample cap room from potential suitors given Cousins would be owed the prorated version of the $27.5 million he’s owed in base salary this season. He recently turned 37 but is also now two years removed from Achilles surgery. The conditions would certainly be specific – especially since Cousins’ no-trade clause permits him to kill any deal – but if a team like the Lions, Rams or Seahawks suddenly found itself with a long-term need behind center and lacking sufficient confidence that in-house backups could persevere for an extended period."

These three NFC teams are surprising options from Davis, but their backups definitely aren’t on the level of Cousins.

Lions Backup QB

Jared Goff's backup is eight-year veteran Kyle Allen. In his career, he's made appearances in just 32 games with 19 starts for six teams. He's 7-12 overall. He hasn't made a start since 2021 with the Houston Texans.

Rams Backup QB

The Rams’ options behind Matthew Stafford are a bit better. There’s Jimmy Garoppolo, technically a two-time Super Bowl champion. He's played 11 NFL seasons with four different teams. In 64 career starts, he's 43-21. His last start was last season during the Rams’ regular season finale.

There's also 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett, who has yet to make an NFL regular season appearance.

Seahawks Backup QB

Behind Sam Darnold in Seattle is six-year veteran Drew Lock, who is now on his third team. Lock has made appearances in 37 games and 28 starts, going 10-18 overall. He made five starts during the 2024 season for the New York Giants.

Jalen Milroe is QB3, the rookie drafted out of Alabama, who has made appearances in two games for the Seahawks this season.

Kirk Cousins Best Option is With Rams

Probably the most sensible out of these three teams is the Rams, who have to constantly worry about Matthew Stafford's health. Stafford entered the season with back issues and those could always flare back up.