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Maybe a reunion is what Kirk Cousin needs.
Cousins, buried behind Michael Penix Jr. after signing a four-year deal with the Falcons, has been linked by The Athletic to his former team in the Vikings in a potential NFL draft trade.
The quarterback-needy Browns and Steelers, who pick second and 21st in Thursday’s draft, are also considered contenders for the veteran.
There is skepticism, though, about whether a Vikings deal could come to fruition, with the outlet labeling Minnesota as the “least likely scenario” of the three.
The hesitation comes from the Vikings committing to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and Cousins being “against” any trade to send him to a team with a younger quarterback.
The speculative flip side is that perhaps Cousins would rather be a backup for a team with whom he’s enjoyed success and there seemingly would be a better shot of playing than in Atlanta.
Cousins played for the Vikings from 2018-23 and threw 171 touchdowns in that stretch before leaving for his $100 million guaranteed contract with the Falcons.
Cousins did not expect the Falcons to draft his replacement in the first round of last year’s draft and then ultimately bench him in the first year of his contract.
Solidifying the backup quarterback position is crucial for the Vikings since McCarthy has yet to play an NFL snap after suffering a knee injury last season.
For all of the Vikings’ faith in McCarthy, which factored into their decision to pass on Aaron Rodgers’ interest in joining the team, he’s not yet a proven commodity.
Minnesota is coming off a 14-3 season and has a chance to contend again in the NFC and could be taking a chance if they entrust the job to McCarthy without a solid backup.
Sam Darnold led them to that record last year, but left for the Seahawks in free agency.
It takes two to tango, though, and the question remains whether teams — like the Vikings — will want to trade actual assets for Cousins or if the Falcons even are willing to play ball.
For opposing teams, there’s the cost factor.
While the Falcons are on the hook for his $10 million bonus for 2026, an acquiring team would pick up that salary. While a $10 million salary for a backup isn’t a killer, it’s also not cheap.
For the Falcons, it’s not as simple as moving on from a sunken cost.
Cousins has “clearly communicated” to Atlanta that he would prefer a fresh start in a situation where he can compete for a starting gig, but the Falcons aren’t looking to dump him — yet.
“This is not a thing where we’re holding (Cousins) back if the opportunity (for a trade) presents itself,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said, per ProFootballTalk. “If it’s something that’s good for both of us — it’s good for the Falcons and Kirk Cousins — we certainly would like to see that happen.”
He added: “We invested in Kirk last year. We invested in some major way, and right now we feel really strong about him being our backup quarterback and the things he can do for us.”
The Athletic speculated that if a trade happens, it will come Saturday during the third day of the draft.
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