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Kirk Cousins’ ran with Minnesota Vikings ended just over a year ago. Veteran Quarterback signed a four -year contract with Atlanta Falcons last March.
The status of cousins remains a background for Falcons’ plans for Thursday’s NFL draft. The veteran signal call left some observers surprised when he reported the first day of the team’s volunteer offseason program.
But Falcon’s General Manager Terry Fontenot said he was not among the group surprised by the appearance of the cousins.
“I didn’t want to say a surprise,” Fontenot said. “This is a voluntary thing. Whether a player is coming or not coming, we have a lot of good professionals that we know will take care of their bodies, including Kirk.”
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Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) enters the field before the game against Minnesota Vikings at the US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker/Imag- Pictures)
Cousins ’arrival at Atlanta Last Offseason presented him another opportunity to start, but his time as Falcons’ starts was ultimately short -lived. After a series of interception -connected performances bench Falcon’s cousins in December in favor of the then rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins remained backup for the last three games of the season, with many believing he had taken his last snap in a Falcon uniform.
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Since the end of the regular season, Falcons has been trying to trade cousins to another franchise has proved unsuccessful. Atlanta has been reluctant to release quarterback, probably because of the financial consequences. Cousins’ salary for the upcoming season is fully guaranteed.
Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is preparing for a game against New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Preferred Pictures)
Fontenot has said the team is good at getting cousins back with the team as a backup in the 2025 season. Falcon’s head coach Raheem Morris repeated similar feelings at the recent NFL meetings in Florida and said the team still feels “very strongly that Kirk is our backup -quarterback.”
General Manager Terry Fontenot from Atlanta Falcons speaks to the media during the NFL Combine in the Indiana Convention Center on February 27, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Morris also acknowledged that Cousins would like an opportunity to start, even if for another team.
“We will not hold him back if the opportunity presents himself,” Morris said. “He has made it clear that he wanted to be a starter.”
Earlier this month, Falcons owner Arthur Blank confirmed that he had an hour-long discussion with cousins about his status with the team.
“I took five pages of notes, literally five pages of notes,” said Blank. “It couldn’t have been a more heartfelt and more respectful conversation.”
WSB-TV was the first to report Cousins ’participation in Falcons’ offseason activity. His participation comes in the midst of a report from Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider, Dianna Russini, who said at least three NFL teams are interested in acquiring cousins.
Russini listed Steelers, Browns and Vikings that clubs could potentially land with. According to the conditions of his contract, cousins should give his approval before any trade he is involved in becomes official.
A trade for cousins could realize at some point under the draft according to the report.
“It is believed that cousins would be against any trade involving sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he was facing in Atlanta last year. If a trade was to happen, I would expect it to go down on Saturday,” Russini wrote.
Fontenot said his priority is back trying to improve the Falcons program list.
“We want to do what is best for this football team, whether it’s a trade or whatever it is,” Fontenot said when asked about his interest in acting cousins.
Falcons currently have no. 15 selection in the draft.
