Falcons have found another reason to trade QB Kirk Cousins

It won't be easy for the Atlanta Falcons to trade Kirk Cousins.

He's owed a lot of money still, making him the most expensive backup QB in the league. It'd probably take an injury to a starting quarterback elsewhere to make Cousins attractive enough in a deal.

But if the Falcons get the opportunity, they may now have another reason to take the offer.

That reason: Easton Stick.

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Stick, who starred at North Dakota State before hanging out down the depth chart with the Chargers, joined the Atlanta organization this offseason. As it stands, he'd be QB3 behind Michael Penix Jr. and Cousins.

But in the preseason opener Friday night against the Lions, Stick was sharp. He went 15-for-18 for 149 yards and touchdown. He's also a capable runner.

"If the Falcons were to find a trade partner for quarterback Kirk Cousins, they might be comfortable with Easton Stick as Michael Penix Jr.'s backup," wrote ESPN's Marc Raimondi after the game.

At this point, frankly, the Falcons might be comfortable with anyone else as Cousins' backup if they could really get his money off the books.

But the presence of Stick would make it easier to feel safe dealing Cousins away.

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Penix is highly promising, but he still isn't really proven. There's probably a contingent in Atlanta that considers Cousins a safe relief option if things crash and burn early in the season, even though that wouldn't be good for Penix's development.

The Falcons really have to sink or swim with Penix to set up their future in the best way. And maybe his backup of the future is Stick, not Cousins.

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