REPORT: NFL Insider With Stunning Take on Michigan State Legend Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins' move to the Atlanta Falcons has been one of the biggest stories of the NFL offseason.
Between the hefty contract the former Michigan State quarterback signed, his recovery from a serious Achilles injury last season and the Falcons' drafting of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., there has been much to discuss regarding Cousins and this next stage of his NFL career.
Aside from Atlanta's surprising selection of Penix, most of the reporting has been rather positive. Recently, however, senior NFL national reporter Dan Graziano of ESPN gave a bold take that dampens the excitement surrounding Cousins' move.
Graziano said in a recent article that Cousins lasting just one year with the Falcons is "not an overreaction."
"Imagine a scenario in which the Falcons struggle this season and decide to move to Penix in 2024," Graziano wrote. "Or how about a scenario in which the constant presence of a top-10 pick at his position looking over his shoulder frustrates Cousins to the point that he wants out? Could the Falcons trade him after one year?
"The short answer is yes, though it wouldn't be the cleanest move ever. Cousins is guaranteed $27.5 million for 2025, and he has a $10 million 2026 roster bonus that becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2025 league year this coming March. So any acquiring team would be on the hook for $37.5 million -- more than reasonable for a good starting quarterback in 2025. There's no doubt that if the Falcons made Cousins available next spring, teams would be interested.
"From the Falcons' end, cutting Cousins after this season would saddle them with a $65 million dead-money cap charge in 2025 and mean they will have paid him $90 million for one season -- so that's pretty unlikely. Trading Cousins would mean a $37.5 million dead-money charge for 2025, and they would have paid him $62.5 million for one season. That's also not ideal, but if Atlanta really believes in Penix and thinks he's ready at that point, it's not prohibitive."
Graziano's take is fair, as any of these scenarios are possible. But after all, isn't anything when it comes to the NFL?
For those Spartan fans still rooting for the legendary Michigan State quarterback, I recommend you disregard takes like these and enjoy this new era for Cousins. Live in the present.
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AIDAN CHAMPION