Baker Mayfield vs. Kirk Cousins: Which QB is More Likely Signing with Falcons?
The smart money on Baker Mayfield? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorite to bring their quarterback back into the fold of the Atlanta Falcons' NFC South rival.
The smart money on Kirk Cousins? We certainly buy the rumor that the Falcons are interested in the Vikings veteran.
Oh, and the Justin Fields thing won't go away, either, as the Georgia native sure seems to be excited about ... something ... as the Chicago Bears consider trading him away.
But could there be an NFC South double-whammy in Atlanta's favor is Mayfield ends up being the guy?
Cousins vs. Mayfield
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Falcons might be a "dark horse" for Mayfield's services as they try and upgrade at quarterback.
'"If there's one dark horse that might emerge for Baker Mayfield, I would think Atlanta is it but Atlanta's got a lot of different options, including holding the No. 8 overall pick," Pelissero said.
Again, the Falcons are looking at every possible way to upgrade from young incumbent Desmond Ridder, who has certainly not gotten a vote of confidence from new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who bluntly said this week that he wouldn't have had a chance for the job in 2024 if the team had better quarterback play in 2023.
Mayfield was a revelation this past season and was a key reason why the Bucs got to the NFC divisional round of the playoffs as he finished the regular season with 4,044 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Cousins, of course, has a solid reputation - though much of his image is tied to his series of gigantic contracts ... without much postseason success to show for it.
And Fields is still to some degree about untapped potential ... that could be unleashed if he comes home.
The Bucs consider Mayfield as a "high priority,'' and so maybe they will eliminate a Falcons candidate before a competition can even begin. It would help the Atlanta cause to toss a monkey wrench into that plan.
But for certain, it seems Atlanta will have a new leader at QB in 2024.
