For a fan base starving for a starting quarterback, this is the best time of the year in Atlanta, as the rumor mill is churning out spicy news by the minute. In February, Justin Fields was the flavor of the month, but the tide has shifted to another quarterback over the last week or so.
Since the NFL Combine, a slew of NFL insiders have pointed out that it is Kirk Cousins, not Justin Fields, who the Falcons have at the top of their wish list. Some reporters have added more drama to the story, like Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who said that Cousins is “seriously considering” moving his family to Atlanta, which in turn, means he’s going to sign with the Falcons.
“We can’t get into the specifics, for now. But we’re getting very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta,” Florio writes. “Which would mean, obviously, that he’d be signing with the Falcons.
The Falcons have always been the top alternative to the Vikings for Cousins, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday. And for good reason. His wife, Julie, grew up in nearby Alpharetta, Georgia. Her parents still live there.”
Kirk Cousins is officially the new flavor of the month, and most recently, ESPN’s Adam Schefter chimed in on the situation, also suggesting that Cousins’ family ties could play a factor.
Here we go again…
“Atlanta makes a lot of sense (for Kirk Cousins), his wife in from there, he’s lived there in previous off-seasons. They need someone to upgrade that position.” – @AdamSchefter on NFL Live
Adam says Kirk will go off the board rather quickly next week.
In…
— Bryce Lewis (@Bryce_Lewis86) March 6, 2024
I have little doubt that an older player like Kirk Cousins would value being closer to his family in a familiar area like Atlanta. However, it seems to be one of the primary talking points when discussing a possible marriage between Cousins and the Falcons, and I don’t think that’s the case.
Cousins has lived in Minnesota for years. There are no signs that he wants to move anywhere, but what this is really going to come down to is money. Kirk Cousins has received two fully guaranteed contracts from the Vikings, which is something they seem to be unwilling to give him again. If that’s the case, it opens the door for the Falcons or potentially another team to blow him away with an offer. However, I’m not buying for one second that this decision has much to do with where Cousins’ wife is from.
It’s going to come down to money. If the Falcons are willing to hand him a fully guaranteed multi-year contract that the Vikings won’t match, Kirk Cousins will be playing in Atlanta in 2024 and beyond.
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Photo: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire
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