Falcons haven't shown any willingness to trade $180 million mistake, says ESPN's Jeremy Fowler

The Atlanta Falcons are now entering the Michael Penix Jr. era, as he took over the starting quarterback role late last season. There is a lot of hype surrounding Penix; in fact, it’s believed to be the reason the Falcons have received so many primetime games.

“It’s a bit surprising that the Falcons have five prime-time games this season,” CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani wrote. “I believe that's because of the excitement surrounding Michael Penix Jr.”

While the Falcons have clarity at quarterback with Penix as the main guy, they're still figuring out what to do with veteran Kirk Cousins. Just over a year ago, Cousins signed a massive $180 million contract, but he ultimately lost his starting job after falling into a major slump.

The Falcons have explored trade options, but those possibilities seem to be dwindling—especially after Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers. For now, the Falcons appear to be waiting to see if any injuries occur across the league.

“But the moment that somebody hits their thumb on a helmet. The moment that somebody pulls up lame with a hamstring, the moment that anything happens to any quarterback, the first question is going to be: is this the team that trades for Kirk Cousins?” said NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Atlanta doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make a move.

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

“Atlanta hasn't really shown a willingness to trade Cousins much as one source told me that, 'If they were willing to take maybe $7 million or $8 million on an offset from another team two months ago, this could've gotten done,'" Fowler said. "But now Cleveland has a bunch of quarterbacks in its room. Pittsburgh has Rodgers. The New Orleans Saints are the only team who could have any sort of opening but they're probably not going to trade in the division. So, maybe Atlanta holds onto him through training camp, sees if there's any sort of injury."

Cousins will likely be unhappy if he isn’t traded, as he has made it clear he does not want to be a backup to anyone.