One of the biggest quarterback dominoes to fall next week will be where Kirk Cousins will play in 2024.
Several teams will be interested in adding the 13-year veteran, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes Cousins may have already decided.
“We’re getting very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta. Which would mean, obviously, that he’d be signing with the Falcons,” Florio writes. “The Falcons have always been the top alternative to the Vikings for Cousins, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday.”
It would be surprising if Minnesota didn’t do everything it could to bring back Cousins, who’s spent the past six seasons with the team.
However, the Vikings are also preparing to give All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson a likely market-resetting deal while holding just $37.3 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. If Cousins receives a better offer elsewhere, he may have played his last down for Minnesota.
However, Atlanta would make the most sense if that’s how things play out. The Falcons have about $37.45 million in cap space, but all of their young playmakers (RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts) still play on their rookie deals.
Cousins’ wife, Julie, grew up in nearby Alpharetta, Ga., where her parents still live.
The major question surrounding Cousins heading into free agency will be his health. The 35-year-old is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, but all signs seem to indicate that his recovery is going well.
It’s also a big decision for Cousins because whoever he signs his next deal with will likely be where he finishes his career. He revealed in February that he hopes to play at least a couple more years to hit the “15-year threshold.”
If the Falcons feel good about Cousins’ recovery and are willing to pay up for the four-time Pro Bowler, it feels like it’s only a matter of time until he moves his family south.