FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons are set to fulfill their contractual obligation to quarterback Kirk Cousins, with $10 million becoming due Monday on the fifth day of the NFL business year.
However, the quarterback who lost his job last season after getting injured wants play for a team that gives him a chance to start.
Cousins is set to turn 37 in August, and his football clock is ticking.
After Cooper Rush, a backup in Dallas, signed with the Ravens on Sunday, there are only a few NFL starting-caliber quarterbacks without a team. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston remain unemployed.
Here are 10 things to know about the standoff:
1. Cousins to the Steelers: There are four teams who have not addressed their quarterback situations this offseason. The Steelers had Wilson and Justin Fields last season. Fields signed with the Jets, and Wilson was on a one-year contract.
The Steelers could be the landing spot for Rodgers, who was with the Jets the past two seasons. The Steelers have been trying to find a quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
The Steelers have the 21st pick in the draft. The top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, will be long gone. The Steelers may have to settle for former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who’s projected to be the third quarterback taken.
If the Steelers had a game tomorrow, Mason Rudolph, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract Thursday, would be the starter.
2. Cousins to the Giants: The Giants parted ways with Daniel Jones in the middle of the season and finished with Drew Lock at the controls.
The Giants hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and could land either Ward or Sanders if one of them doesn’t go in the top two, such as if Penn State’s Abdul Carter is the first pick.
Winston, who played last season with the Browns, is set to visit the Giants. A former No. 1 overall pick of the Bucs, Winston told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wants to be a starter in 2025. He threw 13 touchdown passes for the Browns, but had 12 passes intercepted.
3. Cousins to the Titans: The Titans drafted Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Kentucky. He has started 21 games and posted 5-16 record.
He made his debut against the Falcons in 2023 and proceeded to torch the secondary in 28-23 victory, when he tossed four touchdown passes. But things have gone downhill since.
The Titans have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but are reportedly leaning toward drafting Carter.
The Titans did sign quarterback Brandon Allen, who spent some time in Cincinnati with coach Brian Callahan.
4. Cousins to the Browns: Several reports out of Cleveland projected that Cousins would be reunited with former position coach Kevin Stefanski and be chilling on the shores of Lake Erie over this past weekend.
The Falcons proved not to be fazed by the $10 million payment and retained him on the roster.
Now, if the Browns want to reunite Stefanski and Cousins, it would cost them some draft picks. The Browns “beat out” the Falcons in the Deshaun Watson derby when they elected to guarantee Watson’s five-year, $230 million deal.
With that deal still on the books, the Browns were hoping to hold on to their assets and get Cousins at the NFL’s veteran minimum after the Falcons release him.
Basically, they were hoping he would fall into their laps.
Also, Cousins has a no-trade clause and could dictate where he goes.
5. Injury scenario: In August 2017, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending knee injury during a scramble drill.
After eight seasons, the Bears had seen enough of Jay Cutler and released him in March. The Dolphins got Cutler on the phone and gave him an one-year deal worth $10 million.
One thing is 100% certain about the NFL, and that’s that injuries will occur.
A team among the 28 with settled quarterback situations could have their situation wrecked by injury.
If that happens, the Falcons will be sitting pretty with a starting-caliber “backup quarterback” in Cousins. Though, he would have to waive his trade clause or approve the team seeking a deal.
6. Backup Cousins: Cousins was a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State and backed up Robert Griffin III early in his career in Washington.
So, he’s been in a support role before. He did not become the starter until his fourth season.
7. Mandatory minicamp: The Falcons have stated the Cousins will be the backup. Cousins, reportedly met with team owner Arthur Blank and told him he would like to be a starter elsewhere.
The Falcons have never confirmed that such meeting took place.
Cousins could skip the OTAs and the voluntary minicamp.
The first time he would violate any team rules would be if skips the mandatory minicamp, which normally is in mid-June.
For missing mandatory minicamp without an excused absence, players can be fined daily. Last season’s total was $101,716, according to the collective bargaining agreement.
8. What if Cousins retires: If Cousins really doesn’t want to be a backup and sees that there’s no clear path to a new team, he could just retire.
He would leave $80 million on the table, but he’s made more than $331.6 million in guaranteed money, according to Spotrac.com.
The Falcons still would have salary-cap issues and would then need a backup quarterback.
9. Hold Cousins hostage: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said he wants “volunteers” and not “hostages.”
Players that want to get out of Pittsburgh are free to leave. The Steelers found a home for quarterback Kenny Pickett with the Eagles last season.
Coach Raheem Morris, sincerely enjoys Cousins from their days in Washington, but he probably doesn’t want to be in a bad situation with a disgruntled backup quarterback.
10. Let him go, just take volunteers: The Falcons keep saying they want to do “what’s best for the Falcons.”
It might be best to cut Cousins loose, take your financial hits and move into the future with quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
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