The Cleveland Browns have been searching for a quarterback for the better part of the past decade. Unless they believe one of the prospects in this draft class could be the franchise-altering player they’ve been looking for, the chances of the Browns finding a long-term quarterback this offseason seem slim to none.
However, there’s a possibility that Cleveland could find a veteran who fits its system, giving the Browns a serviceable option under center next season.
If they find that player, it’ll likely be Kirk Cousins.
According to a recent report from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, he expects the Browns to be interested in him.
“With his $10 million guarantee for 2025 vested, Kirk Cousins is now looking at potentially slow-playing his next move. If, say, Rodgers picks the Steelers this week, I’d expect that the Giants and Cleveland Browns would have at least some interest in making a move for the Atlanta Falcons’ very pricey backup. Ditto for the Steelers if they strike out…
“Why would Cousins block a trade to a place where he can start? My understanding it would be chiefly to avoid the situation he found himself in last April when he was blindsided by Atlanta’s decision to take Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick. And that could be where the draft position of the aforementioned teams comes into play,” Breer wrote.
Browns Must Trade for Cousins
There were rumors that the Atlanta Falcons could release Cousins at the beginning of the offseason, allowing any team in the NFL, including the Cleveland Browns, to give him a look.
However, the Falcons paid him a $10 million bonus in March, signaling they plan to keep him on the roster until a trade happens.
For a Browns team that’s in one of the worst cap situations around the NFL, anything could be an issue for them. They also have to move assets for him draft capital-wise, something the Browns might not want to do given the situation they’re in.
Still, he has ties to Cleveland, and that could be important.
“Given Cousins’ ties to Browns coach Kevin Stefanski from their time together in Minnesota, I think Cleveland saw him becoming available at an extremely low cost and being its best option. Now that the price will include at least one draft pick and a more significant salary than the one the team likely anticipated, I’m not sure what happens,” Zac Jackson of The Athletic wrote.
Is Cousins an Upgrade?
Whether Cousins could be the ideal replacement for Deshaun Watson or be who they need is one thing.
At this stage, the Cleveland Browns would be better off with nearly anybody under center than Watson. The first few years of his career with the Browns have been a disaster, both on and off the field.
However, as many NFL fans know, it isn’t like Cousins is a perfect quarterback.
In 2024, he was benched after throwing for 3,500 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He’s sometimes turned the ball over a bit throughout his career, but last year was the most concerning.
If that’s the same player the Browns would get, they wouldn’t exactly be Super Bowl contenders.
