NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Atlanta Falcons looked like they were primed to sneak into the playoffs last season. Then they benched Kirk Cousins, who admittedly didn’t have the best end to a season. Michael Penix Jr. looked the part despite a few rookie struggles, and for Atlanta to stick with both doesn’t make much sense when there are QB-needy teams out there. They might not get a ton to move on from Kirk, but they might be able to get a starter out of it. Which teams should be calling Atlanta up until or on draft day?
New York Jets
The Jets are pulling the plug on the Aaron Rodgers experiment after just two seasons. They’ll hit the reset button again, but it doesn’t need to be a full rebuild. They have a good stable of young talent but how much of the damage was done with an undisciplined Rodgers-led team? Aaron Glenn will likely need to change the culture early and do so with veteran leadership and a guy such as Cousins could be a good fit.
If you’re the Jets, you can’t waste the prime of the talent you have in-house. With a complete rebuild, you’re looking at a 2 to 4-year turnaround unless a lot starts going right immediately. The top QBs will be off the board when the NYJ make their selection but could easily get a draft and develop QB in the second round.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Hear me out on this one. Right now, someone is out there saying the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to make a play for Trevor Lawrence. Whether or not that’s true is yet to be seen but if I’m Jacksonville I’d definitely listen to the offer and then make a play for Kirk. Why? A 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence in his prime is worth more picks than a 36-year-old Kirk Cousins. Lawrence hasn’t proven he’s a winner yet, and Mike Tomlin hasn’t had a losing season.
On the flip side, Kirk Cousins has proven he’s a winner and would potentially give a bridge to their next QB. Use a pick to go after Cousins, get a few picks in return for Lawrence, and utilize it to fill more needs. The Jags aren’t winning football games on the strength of their QB and flooding the field with depth and competition by stockpiling picks is key for your new HC.
Tennessee Titans
Neither Will Levis nor Mason Rudolph looked remarkable last season. Neither looked like an able-bodied starting QB. Because of that, the Tennessee Titans are in a prime position to do whatever the heck they want this offseason but it’s an offseason that should start with Kirk Cousins. The Titans have a lot of holes to fill and it won’t be done in one draft alone. There are a few QB-needy teams that might want to move up in the 2025 draft and the Titans should listen.
This would allow them to move back, gain a couple of picks, and still get a playmaker in the draft. By bringing Cousins, Tennessee would also pressure Will Levis to take the next step as a QB or fall behind in the depth chart. Turning around a bad team rarely happens in one season and with a rookie quarterback. Last year, the Commanders were the exception, not the rule. GMs and coaches can’t keep gambling with their jobs and not bring in competition at every position.
If the Atlanta Falcons do decide to move on from Kirk Cousins, at least three teams should be on the phone trying to make a move. The toughest part will be doing so without giving up too much in return.
