Kirk Cousins has been told that he should stick around with the Atlanta Falcons, with Michael Strahan believing he could be the perfect mentor for Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins was benched for Penix Jr. after a brutal stretch, leading the league in interceptions with a career-high 16, while throwing for just one touchdown and nine picks in his last five outings before finally being replaced for the talented rookie. The Falcons won their first game with Penix Jr. in, looking to have already turned the page to the former Washington Huskie.
And while Cousins is not likely looking to stick around with the Falcons to be a back-up to close out his career, Strahan wants Cousins to stay after signing a huge, $180 million deal with the team to honor his contract and aid Penix Jr. He said: “He’s been consistency mediocre, basically, unfortunately. Keep him around, let him teach Michael Penix the intricacies of the game as a young player. It’s good to have that veteran influence, but I think Kirk may have to just humble himself right now to understand that’s his role with the Atlanta Falcons.”
Cousins’ future looks extremely unclear, but it’s highly likely that he’ll be subject to trade offers due to the lack of elite talent seemingly available in this year’s draft class. Below are three quarterbacks who are certain to be in trade talks this offseason with so many teams looking for upgrades at the position – and three more who could be dealt in shock trades.
Despite his struggles, Cousins remains a talented pocket-passer who is able to spread the ball around the field as well as any other quarterback in the league. Cousins could be acquired for just a seventh-round draft pick, with the Falcons having to eat some of his contract after penning him to a huge deal which they already look to be regretting.
Levis has shown promise, but too many back-breaking mistakes have cost him his starting spot with the Tennessee Titans with the organization looking set to draft another quarterback in this year’s class.
With an incredible amount of arm talent and the ability to make plays on the move, Levis will undoubtedly have a lot of interest this off-season after being a high second-round pick just 18 months ago – while being in a tough spot with the Titans, playing in front of one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
Hooker has thrown just two passes in the NFL since being drafted in the third round of the 2023 class – where he would likely have been selected much higher had he not been coming off-the-back of an ACL tear. The former Tennessee Volunteer has a huge arm and threw an incredible 58 touchdowns for just five interceptions in his final two years in school.
But playing behind Jared Goff, he’s just not going to get an opportunity to play, with team’s almost certain to look at him this offseason with limited options elsewhere. Hooker could be acquired for a mid-round draft pick and turn into a capable starter.
The San Francisco 49ers have a very tough decision to make with Brock Purdy. With limited cap space and an aging roster, the Niners Super Bowl window now looks to have slammed shut, while Purdy’s production has dropped off this season with the team crumbling around him. He’s set to become eligible for an extension, with many 49ers fans hoping to see them flip the quarterback for a first-round pick in order to aid in their rebuild.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks remain non-committal on Geno Smith, with him reportedly wanting and failing to get a new deal from the team this off-season. Seattle look set to draft a quarterback to compete with Smith, and could look to flip him if they’re able to acquire a draft pick.
And another team that has a big quarterback decision is the Minnesota Vikings, with Sam Darnold leading the team to a 13-2 record this season. The Vikings letting Darnold walk would seem like a wild move at this point, meaning they could consider moving on from first-round pick J.J. McCarthy before he’s even played a game. Could Minnesota be better-served acquiring another first-round pick to build their roster around Darnold?
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