Aaron Rodgers has finally made a decision regarding his NFL future. After a long offseason filled with uncertainty, Rodgers made a move when it was least expected, informing the Steelers that he would be signing with them.
With Rodgers officially committing to Pittsburgh, the Atlanta Falcons have hit rock bottom in their efforts to trade Kirk Cousins. The Steelers were seen as Atlanta’s last realistic trade partner, and there was an expectation they would call if their deal with Rodgers fell through—but that’s no longer the case.
“With Rodgers going to the Steelers, Cousins is left without a viable destination to satisfy his goal of being a starting quarterback in 2025. Thus, Cousins will be forced to play the waiting game — perhaps until training camp, the preseason or into the regular season — and monitor the health of quarterbacks around the NFL,” Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick wrote.
Now, the Falcons will have to keep a close eye on any team that suffers a significant injury to its starting quarterback.
“Every time a quarterback gets hurt, the Falcons are going to be like, ‘Hello, look at the guy we got,’” NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said. “He suggested that Atlanta could even land a premium draft pick by trading Cousins during the season if a team becomes desperate enough.”
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed the Falcons as one of the biggest losers from the Rodgers signing, and with good reason: Atlanta is now on the hook for Cousins’ full $27.5 million salary this season.
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“That stinks for Cousins, and the Falcons may not be too thrilled about running out of trade options either. While Atlanta has said it is “comfortable” keeping Cousins around as its backup, general manager Terry Fontenot can’t be eager to hand out a $27.5 million salary to his QB2,” Knox wrote.
With no trade options remaining and a massive contract to pay, the Falcons are now stuck with an expensive backup and little choice but to wait and hope the situation shifts elsewhere in the league.
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