Why the 49ers Will Inevitably be Linked to Kirk Cousins

Quarterback is flying under the radar as a position of need for the 49ers.

Dec 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Quarterback is flying under the radar as a position of need for the 49ers.

They don’t have any player signed to back up Brock Purdy. Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs are slated to become free agents. Dobbs is guaranteed to leave and it’s time for the 49ers to divorce from Allen. So, they will have to search for someone new.

The 49ers will have plenty of options to choose from. Although, a lot of free-agent quarterbacks aren’t alluring. If the 49ers aren’t intrigued by the current free agents, then perhaps they wait for a specific one to get released. I’m referring to Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Atlanta is bound to release him at some point this offseason with Michael Penix locked in as their guy moving forward. Once Cousins is released, the 49ers will inevitably be linked to him. It happens every time Cousins is available or rumored to be a trade candidate. 

There’s no reason to believe it won’t change now, especially since he should come at a vastly cheap cost ($1.3 million) to the 49ers thanks to the Falcons who will continue to pay him. Cousins’ days of being a starter are over. This is Kyle Shanahan’s chance to finally get the guy he’s been crushing over for years now.

He won’t be close to the same player he coveted when before 2024, but to have him as the backup would be solid. If Purdy were to miss time, the 49ers would know they would have a good chance to still win games. 2024 was an awful year for Cousins.

There’s no denying that. He was a turnover machine. However, it was his first time playing since his Achilles injury. Usually, significant injuries like that take a while for a player to find themselves again. Unfortunately for him, he might’ve worn out his welcome as a starter. 

He should be able to recognize that and realize his best bet is to reunite with Shanahan. Shanahan can work with Cousins well even if his mobility is nonexistent now due to his Achilles injury. The turnovers should be mitigated in a better offense and one he’s familiar with.

It makes perfect sense for the 49ers to go after Cousins. All of the years before this it didn’t make sense. This time it does due to his cheap cost and role. Emphasis on the “cheap cost” because the 49ers will need to save as much as they can to put that money to use elsewhere like on the defense. 

The Falcons still need to release him, which should happen unless they want to oddly retain him and make this article pointless. Once that happens, the 49ers should be all over him. He would become the best free-agent option to backup Purdy 

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