Days have passed since the Atlanta Falcons orchestrated a surprising maneuver in the NFL Draft. Seizing the eighth overall pick, the franchise selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a decision that arrived merely two weeks after securing Kirk Cousins with a lucrative deal.
With the quarterback predicament seemingly resolved in Georgia, aficionados are left pondering the organization’s overarching strategies. This contentious subject recently surfaced on a podcast featuring sports pundits Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays. Indeed, the journalists mused about the prospect of Cousins transitioning to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I was going to ask, are the Raiders the most likely Kirk Cousins destination if the Falcons trade Kirk Cousins after a year?” queried Barnwell.
“Does he have a no-trade clause in his current deal or no?” inquired Mays.
“He does, but if the Falcons are like, ‘Hey, you’re going to sit behind Michael Penix for the rest of this contract, or for another year,’ I don’t think Kirk’s going to sit there and make $27.5 million next year to sit on the bench,” Barnwell extrapolated via The Bill Barnwell Show.
Fast forward to March 13, and Cousins penned a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons. The trajectory seemed straightforward to all parties involved…until draft day ensued. Thus, the question looms: Why did the franchise opt to introduce another starting QB into the mix? Numerous factors may be influencing this decision.
Primarily, Cousins, at 35 years old, could be approaching the twilight of his career, and the selection of Penix suggests the Falcons harbor aspirations beyond the immediate future concerning signal-callers. Notably, Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot expressed the organization’s stance, asserting that they “have the quarterback for now and have the quarterback for the future.”
Furthermore, Cousins’ Achilles injury potentially plays a pivotal role. While the seasoned quarterback exhibited commendable form prior to the setback last season, a ruptured Achilles tendon could impede long-term performance and serve as an indication of advancing age. Noteworthy is the fact that Cousins sustained the injury in a non-contact scenario.
While Cousins is anticipated to retain the starting role in the forthcoming season, the presence of a burgeoning talent like Penix in the quarterback corps introduces various plausible scenarios for the future.
Should events transpire akin to the conjecture posited by Barnwell and Mays, Cousins could find himself donning the silver and black of the Raiders, a franchise currently grappling with a quarterback quandary. Last season witnessed the Raiders fielding three different starters in pursuit of the optimal playmaker under center.
Cousins would undeniably supersede the likes of Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Despite concerns regarding age, the quarterback was in the midst of a stellar campaign before succumbing to injury.
Before his untimely exit last season, Cousins amassed 2,331 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in eight games. In 2022, the QB completed 424-of-643 attempts (65.9%) for a cumulative 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns during the regular season.
A move to the Las Vegas Raiders would see Cousins utilizing an arsenal comprising talents such as Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and rookie Brock Bowers (presuming none are involved in the hypothetical trade for the QB).
Nonetheless, this remains speculative, leaving Raiders faithful in anticipation as the unfolding narrative in Atlanta takes shape.
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