Until the Atlanta Falcons trade or release Kirk Cousins, the team will be forced to answer questions about the veteran quarterback's future. That was the case on Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meeting.
Head coach Raheem Morris reiterated that Cousins could return as the backup next season but the team is open to exploring a trade if it works for both sides, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.
There's been speculation about a deal brewing between the Falcons and the Cleveland Browns, who officially acknowledged the disaster that was trading for Deshaun Watson. Cousins has connections with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and a a reunion in Cleveland would make sense.
If Atlanta can't find a way to deal Cousins this offseason, Morris doesn't expect him to attend voluntary workouts, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
#Falcons coach Raheem Morris does not expect QB Kirk Cousins to be at OTAs: "I'm not going to be foolish to think that he's going to show up for voluntary work."
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) April 1, 2025
"I'm not going to be foolish to think that he's going to show up for voluntary work," Morris told reporters on Tuesday. With second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. coming into the season as the clear-cut starter, it wouldn't really make sense for Cousins to attend anyway.
The Falcons freed up salary cap space over the last week by restructuring a few contracts, but they still have a major roadblock in the form of Cousins' contract. The 36-year-old started the first 14 games of the 2024 season, passing for 18 touchdowns and a career-high 16 interceptions.
Cousins looked a little rusty returning from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023, but after a slow start, he got hot in October. Atlanta went 6-3 over the first nine games with Cousins as the starter before his mid-season collapse.
The veteran QB suffered a major hit in the team's Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints and said it affected him for the rest of the season. Before the alleged injury, Cousins had passed for 17 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Considering he had a 500-yard game in October, there's a good chance he wasn't 100 percent during his second-half slump.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris addresses Kirk Cousins' future
