Kirk Cousins (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
An NFL insider has suggested that the Atlanta Falcons could end up trading quarterback Kirk Cousins despite their major commitment to him earlier this year.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million in March but surprisingly selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick last month.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has since put it out there that the team could trade Cousins somewhere he wants to go if they don’t win many games in 2024.

“[D]o you play Penix if he’s good enough?” He said on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’. “Then maybe you do … You could theoretically trade cousins to a place he would want to go to the next season and then you have your franchise guy.”

Cousins spent the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, leading them to two playoff appearances and one playoff win. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in a win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

His deal with the Falcons is reported to have a no-trade clause, which would give him leverage in case the team decides they want to move on from him.

The Falcons Have Named Kirk Cousins As Their Starter For The Near Future

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot has insisted that Kirk Cousins will be the team’s starting QB, with Penix to be groomed for the future.

“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” he said after the draft. “We’re very excited about Kirk. We’re very excited about this team. Michael Penix, we’re talking about the future. You look at the future. You look at the big picture. We are very excited about that quarterback room, and again, Kirk is our quarterback. But adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”

Head coach Raheem Morris suggested that Atlanta will not get a chance to pick this high again as he expects them to win a significant number of games with Cousins as the lead signal-caller, which is why they decided to take Penix in the first round.