If there is one thing Minnesota Vikings fans know about former starter Kirk Cousins, it’s that he can rack up points and numbers with talented wide receivers at his disposal.
Cousins did so in Minneapolis for years with the likes of Justin Jefferson and others, and he may get a similar opportunity in 2025 via a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. has had some ups and downs with the Atlanta Falcons thus far this season, it remains clear that the organization is committed to the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. As such, Cousins is at least somewhat superfluous on their roster, particularly because of the money he’s earning and the trade value he should have to a team like the Bengals who have gone off the rails since star quarterback Joe Burrow sustained a turf toe injury in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Cincinnati was able to hold on in that game, despite backup Jake Browning tossing three interceptions. However, in Browning’s two starts since the Bengals have scored a total of 13 points and lost by an average margin of 31.5 points.
Even without Burrow, that kind of production is inexcusable from a team with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who were playing in a Super Bowl less than four years ago. Cincinnati is 1-3 and has only Brett Rypien or practice squad QBs the team pulled of the mid-season, free-agency scrap heap to whom it can turn if brass decides to bench Browning.
As such, Cousins is a more than viable trade candidate for the Bengals. And if they are going to make a move for a QB with Burrow out potentially the entire season, common logic dictates that now is the time to do so.
Kirk Cousins’ Contract Biggest Obstacle to Trade in 2025
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report dubbed Cousins the second-best available trade option for the Bengals on Tuesday, September 30.
Cincinnati will have to pay a higher price for Kirk Cousins compared to any of the other options because of the signal-caller’s contract, which runs through the 2027 term. Nonetheless, Cousins may be worth the cost if he’s healthy.
Cousins lost the starting job because of passing inefficiencies and his inability to push the ball downfield. Last offseason, he acknowledged that shoulder and elbow injuries had affected him after denying it during the regular season. If the Bengals believe that, they should inquire about the 37-year-old, who led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs three years ago in a Pro-Bowl campaign.
Falcons, Bengals Trade for Kirk Cousins Makes Equal Sense on Both Sides
GettyAtlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins inked a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Falcons owe him a base salary of $27.5 million this year, which will pro-rate over the remaining 13 regular-season contests should a trade actually go down.
The Bengals could also potentially negotiate the assumption of just a portion of the pro-rated amount, to which the Falcons may agree simply to get some financial relief while they still can and simultaneously display a firm commitment to Penix as their quarterback, both now and in the future.
Cincinnati would also have to surrender a draft asset of some kind in any deal, though probably nothing more than a Day-3 pick given Cousins’ age, injury history and current salary.
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