Now that the Atlanta Falcons are cutting Kirk Cousins next month, there are two burning questions on the mind of every Falcons fan. One is about who Kevin Stefanski will call upon to back up Michael Penix Jr., and the other is about where Cousins could end up in what could his final NFL destination.
There should be no shortage of interest in the 37-year-old, as he'll almost definitely be one of the top veteran signal-callers available. The problem is figuring out if he actually wants to continue playing, as there's been buzz that he could retire and pursue a career in sports media, just like Matt Ryan did.
However, there's still another month until his expected release is made official, which is only being done for financial reasons. Since Cousins still has some good football left in the tank, he shouldn't take super long to find some new work, as these three potential landing spots make the most sense.
Kirk Cousins could draw the most free agent interest from these three QB needy teams after the Falcons cut him
New York Jets
If there's an available quarterback with a pulse, odds are the New York Jets will display interest. The Jets are like the girl that nobody wants to go to the prom with unless you are really desperate for a date, so even though Cousins would definitely start for the Jets, this would be a desperation move.
New Jets' OC Frank Reich is a fan of strong-armed pocket-passers like Cousins, and he and the four-time Pro Bowler would be a good match. Gang Green also has a good offensive line, a solid RB1 in Breece Hall, and an elite WR1 in Garrett Wilson, but they're still the Jets, which is enough to say no thanks.
Their entire coaching staff will likely be gone by this time next season, so even though one side has interest, don't expect it to be mutual.
Minnesota Vikings
I am no psychic, but this reunion feels like it's been written in the stars since Cousins restructured his new contract. The Vikings are desperate to add a veteran QB to push J.J. McCarthy, so who makes more sense than the QB who spent seven seasons in Minnesota before signing with the Falcons?
Cousins spent his final two seasons in Minnesota being coached by Kevin O'Connell, and we all know how that ended. He shined throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so if the Vikings already want to cut their losses on "nine", there wouldn't be an easier transition for O'Connell to look into.
Besides, as a Michigan State alum, I would love to see a former Spartan replace a Michigan man under center in Minnesota, but for Cousins and his family, a return to a city and an offense he's already familiar with makes too much sense.
Arizona Cardinals
Now this is where things get interesting. The Arizona Cardinals might be the least talked-about team in the NFL, so a vanilla player like Kirk Cousins would be perfect for them. Besides, he would be a major course correct for Arizona since it seems like Kyler Murray will likely be traded this offseason.
The Cardinals just hired an offensive-minded coach in Mike LaFleur, who was a top assistant under Kyle Shanahan, who had a lot interest in Cousins in the past. And OC Nathaniel Hackett is familiar with him from their time that overlapped in the NFC North, so this could be an interesting marriage.
He'd also be throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride, so even though the Cardinals aren't the most interesting or historically successful franchise, Arizona could work as a potential swan song for Captain Kirk.