The prayers of the Atlanta Falcons might've just been answered. With the Cincinnati Bengals sitting at 4-10, there have been rumblings that they could consider trading Joe Burrow this offseason. He took the Bengals to the Super Bowl back in 2021, but things have been all downhill in the seasons since.
The former No. 1 overall pick has been dealt with recurring injury woes, and it certainly hasn't helped that the Bengals have struggled to field a competent offensive line around him. They're wasting a talent that's among the best in the NFL, which has seen trade rumors begin to surface.
The 29-year-old has been vocal in saying he doesn't want to be traded, but he's been linked to the Raiders, Jets, and Vikings. Now that the Falcons could be without Michael Penix Jr. for the majority of next season, it could prompt Terry Fontenot to join the QB-needy teams in their pursuit of Burrow.
But any potential trade comes with one obvious hurdle: Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins is the key for the Falcons to strike shocking Joe Burrow trade
The 37-year-old is fresh off his best start of the season with the Dirty Birds, but his contract situation complicates his future in Atlanta. His contract comes with an out after the season and it is expected that the Falcons will exercise that despite the $35 million in dead cap that comes along with it.
If he is retained, he'll make $57.5 million in both 2026 and 2027, which is only slightly cheaper than Burrow's $48 million cap hit next season. That means that in order for the finances to work out for any potential trade, Cousins would almost certainly have to be included in the trade.
It's unlikely the Bengals would be interested in a quarterback who will be 38 years old at the start of next season, but there's no doubt that the four-time Pro Bowler could keep the Cincinnati offense competitive while throwing to weapons like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and even Chase Brown.
The other significant question here is if the Falcons even have the draft capital to pull off such a trade. Because of the James Pearce Jr. trade, the Rams have Atlanta's 2026 first-round pick which complicates matters.
In all likelihood, acquiring the former Heisman Trophy winner would likely require at least three first-round picks and multiple key players, meaning they wouldn't pick in the first round until 2030 if they traded their next three first-rounders, which is a massive risk for a team who always picks early.
For those reasons, a swap of Burrow for Cousins is highly unlikely, but Falcons fans can only dream of bringing him to Atlanta to play with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts and extend the playoff window.