Cleveland Browns fans were sent into a bit of a frenzy on Thursday afternoon when, via an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account, current Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was spotted at a Chipotle location in Westlake, Ohio.
The signal-caller, though heading into just the second of a four-year deal with Atlanta, has requested a trade from the team after being replaced by rookie Michael Penix Jr. last season. Cleveland has been floated as a potential landing spot, hence the chaos surrounding his visit to the popular fast-casual Mexican food chain.
Here's a look at Cousins in the Cleveland area:
The 36-year-old proceeded to stoke the social media fire just over an hour and a half later, replying to the viral post.
"Salad with double chicken never fails me," wrote Cousins.
Was Cousins confirming a trip to Ohio? Perhaps, but let's hold off on assuming he was on a visit to the Browns' facility. Cleveland is still not only tied to two more years of the fully guaranteed, $230 million Deshaun Watson deal, but they also traded for Kenny Pickett earlier this month.
Plus, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has already poured cold water on the connection, writing that QB's lunch excursion was, "Not NFL related, by the way," on X. And it appears Rapoport was not the only NFL insider trying to get the scoop from Cousins's agent, Mike McCartney.
Cousins is still under contract with the Falcons through the 2027 season and also has a no-trade clause—meaning he ultimately holds the cards on where he'll play next.
