Taking Kirk Cousins away from the Atlanta Falcons will be far from easy. Despite moving on to Michael Penix Jr. last season, the Falcons seem steadfast on keeping Cousins. The task will be even more difficult to do for the New Orleans Saints, as a divisional rival, but Bleacher Report's Alex Kay thinks it's a move the Saints need to make.
Kay took a look at the quarterback room and deemed this a mandatory move. "If the club wants to compete in 2025, it must swing a trade for Kirk Cousins—the last remaining proven veteran who is realistically available," Kay wrote.
The Saints are clearly looking to break their playoff drought. What team isn't trying to make it to the postseason? Atlanta may be hesitant to move on from Cousins because it wants to ensure they have a quality backup. Injuries at the quarterback position can rattle a season. Kay's trade proposal meets the needs for both teams.
Saints-Falcons trade for Kirk Cousins
Kay proposes the Saints receive Cousins and give up Spencer Rattler, 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick. The trade compensation itself isn't that bad. The Saints get their veteran quarterback Kay believes they need in order to be competitive, and the Falcons get a backup for Penix.
Truthfully, saying Cousins would give the Saints the highest level of play at the position wouldn't be a bold stance. It's largely dependent on if his 2024 season is a sign to come or if he simply needed a year to bounce back from injury. He has more experience than the young players, and that experience would be beneficial right away.
While the benefit may be immediate, it will also be short lived. Cousins isn't a long term solution and likely isn't more than a one-year rental. You're not paying much for him, but it's a move that presses pause on the future.
There are two major issues with the trade. The Saints just offloaded a quarterback contract. They should be looking to avoid picking up another one. Seeing that Atlanta is a divisional rival, the team isn’t going to look to help the Saints by taking on most of Cousin’s 2025 cap hit.
Additionally, Cousins has a no trade clause that he may enforce. This trade puts him in the same position he was last year with Penix, veteran quarterback with the franchise’s future waiting in the wings.
Tyler Shough vs. Spencer Rattler battle is still ongoing
Trading for Cousins lays out a clear two-year plan to begin the Kellen Moore era. Cousins would be the starter in 2025, and Tyler Shough starts next year, if not earlier. In this case, dealing Rattler makes sense. Taking the redshirt approach is better suited for the rookie.
The Saints are currently holding a battle for the starting role between Rattler and Shough. So far, Rattler has performed well. He's been impressive during the days media has been present. It's only a handful of practices, but Rattler has shown improvements from his rookie season. Shough may have the inside track to the starting role, but it's setting up to be an exciting summer.
