The Cleveland Browns can't afford to pay huge money for a quarterback with two years remaining on Deshaun Watson's disastrous $230 million deal, but they may be able to trade for a QB that a competing NFL team just broke the bank on last offseason.
Kirk Cousins inked a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons ahead of the 2024 campaign, but found himself benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. a little after the midway point of the season. Cousins was a viable option for Cleveland after the year ended and before free agency began in March, when the widespread opinion of NFL insiders was that the Falcons would probably release Cousins before a mid-March deadline that necessitated a $10 million bonus be paid to the QB.
But Atlanta held firm, keeping Cousins on the roster and furthering the narrative that the team is okay paying him a $27.5 million base salary to be its backup signal-caller in 2025.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Tuesday, April 1, that a trade between the Falcons and Browns for Cousins could be in the works, which might allow Atlanta to get an asset in return for the QB as well as push some of his remaining $27.5 million cost this season onto Cleveland's books.
"[The Falcons] still have so many questions at quarterback, which brings us to Kirk Cousins. Is that a real thing for Atlanta to trade Kirk to Cleveland? From my sense, yes," Russini said in a video posted to X. "I don’t know how far along it is right now. I just know there’s enough smoke around this and enough conversation to be had that this wouldn’t be a surprising move. Knowing Kevin Stefanski coached Kirk Cousins while he was in Minnesota, it makes a lot of sense why this would work."
The Browns own the No. 2 pick in this month's NFL draft and will be in position to select a QB there, probably Shedeur Sanders of Colorado as Miami's Cam Ward is widely expected to be the No. 1 selection. However, the team will still want a proven veteran on the roster for at least one year as a bridge to Sanders -- or some other rookie QB -- if they don't select edge rusher Abdul Carter or CB/WR Travis Hunter second overall.
If Cleveland doesn't take a QB early, the presence of a player like Cousins will be all the more important. Kenny Pickett is the only other QB currently on the roster besides Watson, who continues to rehabilitate from a twice-torn Achilles tendon.
