Will Kirk Cousins start for a different team this season? NFL.com writer predicts new home for Falcons QB

The Atlanta Falcons are planning to move forward with Kirk Cousins as their No. 2 quarterback this season. While the team had hoped to move the veteran signal-caller during the offseason, Cousins’ contract made that extremely difficult.

It turns out NFL teams aren’t overly desperate to trade assets for an overpaid 36-year-old who’s coming off the worst five-game stretch of his career. Not only did Cousins toss a career-high 16 interceptions, but his 18 touchdowns were the fourth-fewest he’s thrown since entering the league.

However, while no trade has come together yet, there’s still a chance Cousins plays elsewhere this season.

NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha released 10 “way-too-early bold predictions” for the 2025 season. His final prediction was that Cousins would start for another team this season, citing the history of starting quarterbacks getting injured around the league.

NFL.com: ‘Kirk Cousins will start for another team this year’

“[Dak] Prescott was one of four different signal-callers who didn’t finish last season because of injury,” wrote Chadiha. “Two years ago, the Browns started five quarterbacks, while the Vikings and Jets each started four. It’s a fact of life: Quarterbacks go down in this league. This is why Cousins has a decent shot of playing some place this year.”

As poor as Cousins played down the stretch of the team’s uneven 2024 campaign, he looked good during Atlanta’s 6-3 start. Cousins even passed for a franchise-record 509 yards in an overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, the wheels began to fall off.

Cousins reportedly suffered an injury during the team’s Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. While the Falcons surely hoped to move Cousins before the start of offseason training programs, it’s still a possibility going forward.

“If history tells us anything, some team will come calling for him sooner or later,” Chadiha concluded.

Cousins was present for mandatory minicamp, and it’s tough to imagine him getting traded before the team reports for training camp on July 23.