The trade rumors surrounding Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins have resurfaced following the multitude of quarterback injuries around the NFL entering week 3. Before Michael Penix Jr took over as the starting quarterback for the Falcons towards the end of last season, Cousins started in 14 games in his first year with Atlanta, recording 3,508 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career-high 16 interceptions.
Now with his future in Atlanta uncertain and the ongoing trade rumors, here are three potential destinations for Cousins.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals fans' worst nightmare came true in Sunday's 31-27 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars when star quarterback Joe Burrow left the game with a toe injury and is expected to be out for three months with a turf toe variant.
With Burrow sidelined, backup quarterback Jake Browning now enters the starting role for the Bengals. Browning has proven himself to be a valuable backup, recording 2,177 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 10 career starts.
However, Bengals fans are concerned that Browning will be unable to keep Cincinnati afloat while Burrow is out. With these concerns, Cousins could be a valuable option to step in for Burrow during his absence. With his experience, Cousins could keep the Bengals in the AFC playoff hunt.
With how horrendous the Bengals' offensive line has been and their defense continuing to struggle, even the addition of Cousins may not be enough for Cincinnati. The one thing that does help Cousins is that the Bengals' offensive weapons, including Ja'Marr Chase, Chase Brown, and Tee Higgins, could thrive with him in at QB1.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints quarterback room is an absoulte disaster with Spencer Rattler and an inexperienced rookie in Tyler Shough. In the Saints' first two games of the season, which have both resulted in losses, Rattler has thrown for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
The one thing that the Saints' quarterback room is missing is a veteran quarterback, and the addition of Cousins could help fill that void. While the Falcons would most likely be unwilling to trade within the division, the addition of the four-time Pro Bowler would help first-year head coach Kellen Moore thrive and help the Saints contend in a very weak NFC South.
Several impactful offensive players on the Saints including running back Alvin Kamara and wide receivers Juwan Johnson and Chris Olave could have better performances with a proven quarterback.
New York Jets
The Justin Fields experiment hasn't gone well for the New York Jets as they have started the season with a 0-2 record. Through two games this season, Fields has 245 yards and one touchdown. He also won't play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering a concussion in Week 2.
Tyrod Taylor now steps into the role as the starting quarterback for the Jets, and it is still unclear how long Fields will be out, as he is still in the NFL's concussion protocol according to head coach Aaron Glenn.
The Jets currently have the longest playoff drought in the NFL. They haven't appeared in the postseason since 2010 NFL and fans are growing restless. If the Jets hope to break that drought this season and Fields is out for an extended period, bringing in Cousins at quarterback could have a positive impact on New York's goal.
With Cousins starting, he should be able to click with several of the Jets' key offensive pieces, including running back Breece Hall and wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Tyler Johnson, and Allen Lazard.