The Cincinnati Bengals would have rather traded for Joe Flacco than snagging Kirk Cousins from the Atlanta Falcons, it appears.
Maybe we don't know the whole story, but that seems flat-out bizarre. Regardless, one thing seems abundantly clear: Cousins is far from stuck in Atlanta at this rate and, in the matter of just one play, he could be on his way out.
Look around at even the most recent news when it comes to quarterback injuries. You have the Baltimore Ravens who have already seen Lamar Jackson miss time due to injury. Then, there's the Arizona Cardinals who saw Kyler Murray miss practice this week with a foot injury.
Jayden Daniels has missed time. Brock Purdy has also missed time, and his backup, Mac Jones, is on the injury report as of late. Tua Tagovailoa has shown up on the injury report, already, and we know how that story goes.
The list goes on. So, for everyone thinking a Cousins trade isn't in the cards, think again.
Kirk Cousins could very well get his opportunity to be a starting quarterback before the NFL trade deadline
The deadline is November 4. That means the Falcons have less than a month to get a deal done.
Yes, there are some factors at play. The money is certainly an issue and would have to be worked out on both sides. The fact Cousins had to move his family to Atlanta and planned on being there a long time? That's obviously a huge factor as Cousins is, indeed, a big family man.
There's a lot at play, here. But, at the end of the day, Cousins is still an NFL quarterback and if there is a team out there who believes they can compete with him under center, then they'll have no other choice but to call Atlanta.
You could make an argument for either New York Giants quarterback, Jameis Winston or Russell Wilson, but I have a hard time believing those two are better options for a contending team to trade for over Cousins. I'm just not buying it.
We know, now, that Cousins' 2024 demise could very well have been linked to multiple injuries he had been dealing with. Maybe that was the whole story. Maybe it wasn't. We do know Cousins did not want to sit and was going to tough it out through as much pain as he could possibly endure.
Now, healthy, Cousins could still have plenty of value. So, look around the league once more and realize: a Cousins trade is one play away.
Quarterback injuries aren't out of the norm. They have happened and will continue to happen, as grim of an outlook at that may seem. The Falcons might be able to swing a Cousins trade, after all.