The Atlanta Falcons took a huge gamble in the 2025 NFL Draft when they traded back into the first round to pair Jalon Walker with James Pearce Jr. Although neither jumped off the page for the first few weeks of the season, things were fine because the Falcons were 3-2.
Not only did they have a winning record, but they were fresh off beating the mighty Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, they are now in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and despite Walker's strong performance on Sunday, it looks like this gamble is a long way from being cashed in.
Without a first-round pick in next year's draft, but still in the hunt for a playoff spot, Atlanta found itself in a peculiar position at the trade deadline. They chose to stand pat, but they may soon be kicking themselves for not finding a trade partner for veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Falcons have no excuse for not finding a Kirk Cousins trade partner
Yes, Cousins' contract is absurd, and he bombed his audition for other teams when he filled in for an injured Michael Penix Jr. in Week 8. But the Falcons could have done what the Denver Broncos did with Russell Wilson, which is send him away and basically pay him to play for another team.
According to Spotrac, if they traded Cousins at the deadline, Atlanta would have saved $26.25 million this year, and only taken on a dead cap hit of $25.0 million next year, instead of $35.0 million if they opted out before 2026, or $57.5 million to keep him on the team.
There are several quarterback-needy teams that could have used a player like Cousins, even as a backup to a rookie on a cheap deal. But he continues to burn a hole in the Falcons' pockets by sitting behind Penix and not performing well when given an opportunity.
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Considering the fact that Atlanta gave away its first-round selections in 2026, the Falcons should have been looking at any avenue to get some picks back. They obviously wouldn't get a first-rounder, or likely even a Day 2 pick, but a pair of late Day 3 selections should be enough to cut ties with Cousins.
It is much easier said than done to offload an aging, unproductive quarterback on a starter's salary. But, again, the Broncos serve as the perfect example of how it is possible to set this kind of player free and still be able to field an incredibly competent team around a quarterback on a rookie deal.
Now that the Falcons are locked into the Cousins experiment for at least the remainder of this season, at a minimum, they'll take on a $35 million dead cap hit in 2026. Surely, the front office regrets not doing whatever it took to get rid of the 37-year-old.
Hopefully, this inaction does not come back to haunt them.