After a year and a half with the Atlanta Falcons, ex-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is ready for a fresh start, or so the rumor mill states.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has apparently taken a stand down in Atlanta, voicing his opinion about a change of scenery.
The NFL trade deadline is five days away, and according to some credible reporting, Cousins has requested a trade, hoping to start somewhere as his career winds down.
Kirk Cousins Reportedly Requests a Trade
The problem? Few spots are available, and Cousins, as always, has a mammoth contract.
Cousins Wants Out of ATL
Cousins hasn’t been content in Atlanta since the club benched him last December in favor of then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. In fact, most expected Cousins to be traded or released last offseason, but the Falcons stuck to their guns and kept him on the roster.
But according to USA Today‘s Tyler Dragon, Cousins would rather be traded in the next five days.
Dragon wrote this week, “The Falcons backup QB still desires an opportunity to start elsewhere, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. However, no trade appears to be imminent. Cousins made his first start of the season for the injured Michael Penix Jr. (knee) in Atlanta’s 34-10 Week 8 loss.”
So, yes — it seems Atlanta may stick to its guns yet again despite Cousins’ desire to leave.
NFL Media Believes the Destination Is Minnesota
Use Google after reading this article to search “Kirk Cousins Vikings,” and you will find oodles of articles from credible authors suggesting or predicting the former purple passer to Minnesota via trade.
For example, NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote Wednesday, “Minnesota is the only fit for Cousins at this stage. The 37-year-old quarterback did his trade value no favors with Sunday’s outing against Miami. The Falcons haven’t shown much interest in dealing the QB, but as the season spirals, perhaps they’d change gears, especially with only five draft picks in 2026 at the moment.”
“The Vikings aren’t exactly flush with assets to ship for an aging quarterback, but with Carson Wentz’s injury and J.J. McCarthy struggling to stay on the field, would they really risk flushing the season? Cousins played some of his best football under Kevin O’Connell, and perhaps the QB-friendly offense could bring him back to life. If McCarthy can’t stay healthy, the options are grim in Minnesota.”
Of course, Minnesota doesn’t really have the budget for Cousins — his cap hit is $57.5 million in 2026 and the same number in 2027 — but the powers that be of trade suggestion simply don’t care about that factoid.
Where Else for Cousins?
It will sound morbid — bear with us — but Cousins’ best hope to be traded and then start this season relies on a starting quarterback getting hurt this Sunday.
One of these teams could finagle a deal for Cousins on Monday or Tuesday if it lost its starting quarterback [for the rest of the season] in Week 9:
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Detroit Lions
- Indianapolis Colts
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
A Poor Showing Last Weekend
Cousins hit on 21 of 31 passes for 173 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions last weekend against the lowly Dolphins, while his team got spanked. The Falcons were 2-for-11 on 3rd down and lost 34-10. Everything went poorly, and many Falcons fans blamed Cousins personally, because, well, he’s the quarterback.
The veteran signal-caller will likely head back to the bench this week, as Michael Penix Jr. is on a trajectory to return.
Cousins had one chance to shine before the trade deadline, and he mostly blew it.
Bleacher Report on Cousins
BR’s Kristopher Knox weighed in: “The Atlanta Falcons were forced to turn to backup quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 8, but the 37-year-old isn’t about to replace Michael Penix Jr. as Atlanta’s full-time starter—barring a significant injury issue, of course. There are several teams that could use Cousins, including his former employer, the Minnesota Vikings.”
“Minnesota hasn’t been eager to rush J.J. McCarthy (ankle) back on the field, and Carson Wentz is out for the year with a shoulder injury. The problem is that Atlanta still fancies itself a playoff contender and isn’t going to let its backup quarterback go for proverbial pennies. And no team is likely to surrender a Day-2 pick for Cousins and his $27.5 million base salary. Prediction: Cousins remains in Atlanta.”
Like last year, after the benching, Cousins’ best chance may be to sit tight for a few months and then examine the lay of the land in the offseason. It’s clear that Atlanta has no vested interest in trading him — they would’ve done that by now, many times over.
Age is also working against Cousins. By the time Week 1 of 2026 rolls around, he’ll be 38.
