The Atlanta Falcons chose to dig their heels in with quarterback Kirk Cousins, and thus, now face a lose-lose situation.
With Michael Penix Jr. being the starter, now, the Falcons are stuck with a $30 million backup.
While that sounds terrible on the surface, there is still hope that the team could end up finding a trade partner. But, that scenario would take a while to come to fruition.
After the 2025 NFL Draft, there were very few teams left as a potential landing spot. Maybe only the Pittsburgh Steelers seem logical, but they appear to be waiting around for Aaron Rodgers. Other than Pittsburgh, there really are no options for Cousins to walk in and start.
But, what would happen if an injury took place elsewhere? In that instance, Cousins might be able to waltz in and start immediately.
Kirk Cousins could make the pain unbearable for the Falcons in a trade scenario
Not so fast, says one NFL insider.
Assuming an injury did take place, and the Falcons saw an opportunity to trade Cousins, there's one small caveat to the situation we would still need to have addressed. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer acknowledged as much.
"But even if there’s an injury, it’d have to happen before the trade deadline," Breer wrote. "And there’s a chance that Cousins wouldn’t want to uproot his family—and could thus block a trade if he doesn’t like the destination."
We can't forget, at this stage in his career, Cousins has made plenty of money. He is also a father and big-time family man.
Why would he uproot his family if he didn't love the destination? If this ends up being the end of the road for Cousins, something tells me he would be just fine. Cousins has always prioritized his family, and if Atlanta seems to be the better location for them rather than taking an opportunity elsewhere, then this sentiment from Breer really does make sense.
The Falcons might think they have the upper hand, but if Cousins blocks a potential trade, there is nothing Atlanta can do about it.
And that, folks, makes the decision to sign him look all the worse. As if it couldn't get worse than it looks right now, don't hold your breath.
It absolutely could.