Kirk Cousins’ Uncertain NFL Future after Falcons Bench Kirk Cousins: Browns and Giants Emerge as Potential Destinations | NFL News – Times of India

Kirk Cousins is back at the center of trade rumors in the NFL, but this time, it has nothing to do with statistics or injuries. Instead, it has everything to do with where the veteran quarterback might end up. After all, the Falcons appear to be moving on from Cousins, and there is growing chatter that the quarterback could end up in Cleveland or New York. Here’s the situation in brief.

Falcons Bench Cousins Amid Struggles

Cousins’ time with the Falcons has been a roller coaster ride. In the first half of this season after his Achilles repair, everything was going really well for him. Yet, in his last five games, Cousins has seen things take a turn with just one touchdown and nine interceptions thrown, leaving playoff hopes in Atlanta hanging.
The Falcons coach eventually benched him for rookie Michael Penix Jr. It is a sign that there might be a fresh start under center. This change has Cousins in limbo, though, as he’s facing a massive $27.5 million in guaranteed salary and has a $10 million roster bonus looming in March.

Insider Insight: Where Will Cousins End Up?

NFL insider Adam Schefter wasn’t shy in speaking about Cousins’ potential future:
“Kirk Cousi͏ns w͏ill wear a different jersey next year sin͏ce he’s o͏wed͏ $͏27.5 million in guaranteed ͏salary, and Atla͏nt͏a ͏will n͏e͏ed t͏o a͏v͏oid a ͏$10 million roster bonus ͏due in mid-March͏.” He also mentioned, “They might͏ be able to work out ͏a trade, but if that doesn’t happen, they could end ͏up͏ rel͏e͏asing him. Plus, ͏the top ten te͏ams are l͏o͏oki͏n͏g to pick ͏up players, and at least five of them ne͏ed͏ ͏quarterbac͏ks.͏ The Cl͏evelan͏d Browns and Gia͏n͏t͏s are amo͏ng ͏the ͏pot͏e͏ntial ͏teams.”

Cleveland would be a great choice with Stefanski having previous familiarity with Cousins in Minnesota and might help ease Cousins’s transition. The Giants need a veteran quarterback to shore up their offense while giving young talent some mentorship.

The Browns and the Giants: A Good Match or a Long Shot?

Both teams present exciting opportunities for Cousins. Cleveland has a solid roster, but might want to throw some competition at Deshaun Watson, whose stint there hasn’t exactly gone smoothly. But getting him to sign up as either a possible backup or even as part of a quarterback controversy is going to be a challenge.
In the case of Giants, a veteran QB in Cousins can be seen to strengthen their inconsistent performances with a center. They possess a young roster that, if led by a guy like Cousins, may look toward developing into playoff-bound contenders.

Challenges to face for Cousins:

Cousins’ contract complicates matters. His no-trade clause limits Atlanta’s options, and finding a team willing to take on his salary might not be easy. On top of that, his recent performance dip and benching could make potential suitors wary.
Still, Cousins is only one injury away from being a starter for the Falcons again if Penix falters or gets injured. For now, though, his future is unclear, but one thing’s for sure: the NFL offseason is shaping up to be anything but boring.
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