Kirk Cousins wants to be a starter while the Atlanta Falcons are looking to get something for him and his massive contract. Since the season ended we have seen many reports about what the future looks like for both sides but they all seemingly contradict each other.
However, as we near free agency, we are finally getting reports that actually mesh -- even if it doesn't seem like that on the surface.
Falcons are manipulating Kirk Cousins into taking a pay cut to increase trade value
The Atlanta Falcons are playing this awful situation -- a situation they put themselves in -- in the smartest way possible. Recent reports have confused many people but it makes sense when you look at things deeper.
Sources: QB Kirk Cousins asked for, and got, a meeting with Falcons owner Arthur Blank on his future. Blank and Cousins had that meeting Wednesday night—the QB wants to go to a place where he can start in 2025.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 7, 2025
The Falcons brass has said it'd do what's best for the team at QB.
Teams have reached out to the Falcons to see if they have any plans to cut him and they’ve been told no…for now.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 7, 2025
No trade discussions have been brought up. https://t.co/aUpWeJ3zAw
Teams that have been interested in Kirk Cousins around the league have been told that Atlanta won’t move him.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 7, 2025
We’ll see. https://t.co/zvJpNsoClj
Why won't the Falcons trade him? They are looking to increase his value before trading him. How do they increase his value? Get him to take a pay cut. How do they get him to take a pay cut? Make him believe it is his only way off of the team.
The risk in this is that you wait too long and interested teams fill their needs through free agency, a trade, or the draft.
We have already seen one spot filled with the Raiders trading for Geno Smith. There were rumors the Raiders inquired about Cousins but were shut down.
While this does open up a spot in Seattle, it is hard to imagine their master plan was to trade Geno and then turn around and trade for the worst contract in NFL history. There is no way Terry Fontenot was happy after hearing news of this trade.
The sooner the Falcons can convince their quarterback to cut his pay, the better. It would have been best to get this done before free agency but it sounds like that won't happen. At this point, we should be waiting for news of a pay cut before expecting the fun to begin.