Falcons open to throwing “massive check” at Kirk Cousins?

The Falcons have to compete with the Vikings for Kirk Cousins’ services, maybe other quarterback-needy teams too.

On the one hand, the Minnesota roster is talented, featuring a solid offensive line, a bright mind coordinating the unit in Kevin O’Connell, and the best receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson to go along with Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson. Cousins and his family have also lived in Minnesota since 2018.

On the other hand, Atlanta presents a similar situation. The offensive line is solid, there’s a lot of hype around Zac Robinson, and the skill group features three top 10 draft picks in Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson. Moreover, Kirk’s wife has family in the metro Atlanta area.

They’re honestly comparable situations, but there are a couple of things that favor the Falcons. The NFC South is much more attractive than the NFC North. Atlanta would be the odds-on favorites to win the division while Minnesota will compete with two postseason teams in the Packers and Lions.

However, a more important factor in all of this is the contract. The Falcons don’t have a ton more cap space than the Vikings or anything like that, but the club could be more willing to meet Cousins’ demands of a fully guaranteed deal.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic reported some around the NFL believe the Falcons could hand Cousins a “massive check” in free agency.