The NFL Draft is over, and there aren’t many things to be upset about as a Falcons fan. About the only thing to complain about that came out of Green Bay was the prospect of a Kirk Cousins trade coming to fruition.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were believed to be the best chance at the Falcons offloading Cousins, but Cleveland didn’t just come away with one quarterback in the NFL draft. They took Dillion Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. Granted, that’s not exactly the place where starters are taken, but the Browns now have a slew of signal callers under contract, including Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers drafted Will Howard in the sixth round and also have Mason Rudolph under contract, but Pittsburgh ownership spoke all weekend that they believed Aaron Rodgers would eventually sign with the team. If not, they’ll immediately become a landing spot for Cousins.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota didn’t draft a quarterback, but they did trade for Sam Howell, who started 18 games across two seasons with the Commanders before being traded away. Still, the plan for the Vikings is probably to hand the reins over to J.J. McCarthy, but if he’s not healthy, perhaps a reunion becomes an option for the Falcons and Kirk Cousins.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints have Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener under contract, and New Orleans drafted Tyler Shough in the second round. It doesn’t seem like a Kirk Cousins trade will even be on Mickey Loomis’ radar, but if Carr is unable to go because of his injury, maybe the Falcons could lure their rivals to sit down at the negotiating table.
Suffice to say, the Falcons don’t have any options right now. If Aaron Rodgers retires, that changes things dramatically. The only other hope is that a starting quarterback gets injured this offseason. More than likely, it seems like a Kirk Cousins trade won’t be happening, and the veteran will be on the Falcons roster this season.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
