Right now, the Falcons are worried about the Commanders on Sunday Night Football. The playoffs are essentially on the line in primetime as Michael Penix Jr. prepares for his toughest task to date.
Jayden Daniels is the frontrunner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and the Falcons will face their old friend in Dan Quinn. There’s plenty on the line this weekend and even more storylines.
While that’s where Atlanta’s focus is right now, there will come a point where they must shift their focus to the future of Kirk Cousins, who was benched before last week’s game against the Giants.
The veteran is owed considerable money and will more than likely cost the Falcons some amount of dead cap, but it’s better to just wipe your hands clean of a messy situation than muddy it up even more.
But with the holiday season in full swing, gift wish lists are everywhere—and one Cleveland Browns fan has a particularly unconventional idea in mind. Jared Mueller, a lifelong Browns supporter and producer for Dawgs by Nature, has floated the notion of a blockbuster trade between the Browns and Falcons: swapping quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson.
Mueller suggests the trade could be beneficial for all four parties involved—Cleveland, Atlanta, Cousins, and Watson—citing a proposal outlined in Jack Duffin’s analysis on The OBR.
—
Duffin’s Trade details:
Browns send a 2nd, 6th & Watson as well as eating $27.25m to the Falcons for a 4th & Cousins.
Mueller’s Trade Details:
Browns send 2026 2nd, 5th & Watson, to the Falcons for Cousins
The trade benefits everyone:
- Browns get off some salary cap hit and get a QB another year removed from his Achilles injury who has a history with Stefanski
- Falcons get draft capital in exchange for some salary cap space and a little bad PR
- Cousins gets to choose his destination (no-trade clause) but not have Watson looming on a team with a lot of weapons
- Watson returns to a team he was a ball boy for, can rehab out of the spotlight and, if he supports Penix, could rehab his on-field image enough to get a chance to start again in the future
—
After unceremoniously pushing Matt Ryan out of the building in a failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson—a player with over two dozen sexual assault allegations—Atlanta is not about to repeat history.
The Watson saga left a bitter taste in Falcons fans’ mouths, and rightly so. Despite ultimately dodging the bullet of Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal (courtesy of the Cleveland Browns), Atlanta’s mere pursuit of him drew immense backlash. Now, with Michael Penix Jr. set to take the reins, the Falcons would have to be out of their minds to revisit Watson, even as part of a proposed trade involving Kirk Cousins.
Another overlooked factor is Cousins’ no-trade clause. Why would Cousins waive it to move to Cleveland, a team with less offensive talent and a murkier path forward? If Atlanta truly wants to move on from him, Cousins could simply refuse any trade, forcing the Falcons to release him.
That scenario would allow Cousins to follow a path similar to Russell Wilson’s, signing for the veteran minimum elsewhere while still collecting millions from Atlanta. In short, Cousins has no incentive to agree to a deal that doesn’t work perfectly in his favor.
The Falcons dodged the Watson bullet once, and they’re not about to line themselves up for another shot. With Penix under center, a strong supporting cast on offense, and renewed hope for the future, Atlanta is looking forward—not backward.
For the Falcons, trading Kirk Cousins for Watson isn’t just unlikely—it’s impossible.
—
Photographer: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.