Just because it’s nearly June and Kirk Cousins is still on the Falcons’ roster doesn’t mean he won’t be traded — not yet, at least.
Then again, given how stubborn Atlanta has been throughout this situation, it’s just as likely the veteran quarterback remains with the team for the 2025 season.
That might be what’s best for the Falcons, but it’s certainly not what Cousins wants.
“Kirk Cousins asked for, and got, a meeting with Falcons owner Arthur Blank on his future,” Albert Breer reported back in March. “Blank and Cousins had that meeting Wednesday night — the QB wants to go to a place where he can start in 2025. The Falcons brass has said it’d do what’s best for the team at QB.”
So far, “what’s best” seems to mean keeping Cousins — at least until the right offer comes along.
One possible option? A trade with the New York Jets.
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ClutchPoints’ Enzo Flojo recently floated a potential deal that would send Cousins to New York in exchange for 27-year-old defensive tackle Micheal Clemons.
Yes, the Jets now have Justin Fields. However, we feel they remain a quarterback-needy team. Having Cousins internally compete with Fields would be a boon. In return, Atlanta could pry away 27-year-old edge rusher Micheal Clemons.
Clemons is coming off a career-best season. He racked up 4.5 sacks and eight QB hits despite playing in a rotational role. He’s not a complete player, though. His run defense remains below average, but his burst and motor as an outside rusher could be a perfect complement to the Falcons’ newly drafted James Pearce Jr and veteran Leonard Floyd. Atlanta needs juice on the edge, and Clemons offers that at a relatively low cost.
From a financial standpoint, such a deal could help relieve some pressure as well.
“The Falcons could offload some salary from Cousins’ deal while acquiring a younger, cost-controlled defensive lineman who still has room to grow,” Flojo wrote. “It’s the kind of trade that balances short-term impact with long-term value. That’s exactly what a team stuck in cap purgatory should be seeking.”
If the Falcons move Cousins before June 1, they would only save $2.5 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. However, if they wait until after June 1, that savings jumps to $27.5 million, with the dead cap spread across this season and next.
That kind of financial incentive could be what ultimately pushes Atlanta to make a move. It would also add to the team’s current young crop of new pass rushers and help replace Grady Jarrett.
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