Ian Rapoport Reveals 2 Most Likely Options for Kirk Cousins after NFL Draft

As Kirk Cousins remains in quarterback purgatory hoping for an escape from the Atlanta Falcons, two potential trade partners seemed to go away during the course of the NFL Draft.

Cousins and the Falcons were hoping the draft might provide some clarity on the quarterback's future, and it did, but probably not the way the Falcons and Cousins were hoping.

NFL Network inside Ian Rapoport weighed in and thinks there's one-possible trade partner left for the Falcons after the draft, but he's coming around to the idea that he'll remain in Atlanta.

"If Aaron Rodgers doesn't go to Pittsburgh I think that's a possibility for Kirk Cousins..

It feels like the other possibilities kind of don't exist after the draft..

The longer this goes it feel like he's gonna be the Falcons backup" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ZzLRxumpg7
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 28, 2025

"I was keeping track, trying to figure out, if he leaves Atlanta where might he go? I think if your good friend Aaron Rodgers does not go to Pittsburgh, I think that would be a possibility," said Rapoport on Pat McAfee's show on Monday.

"But it feels to me that their other possibilities, kind of don't exist. People talked about the Vikings, OK, they traded for Sam Howell. People talked about maybe the Browns, I don't know if you guys know this, but they drafted a second quarterback in Shedeur Sanders," Rapoport deadpanned. "so I don't think he's going there."

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McAfee was adamant about clearing up what "second" quarterback meant, because Sanders was the second quarterback taken by the Browns in the draft.

"And? And?" insisted McAfee.

"And Dillon Gabriel," Rapoport responded.

After some banter about how the draft played out for Gabriel and Sanders, Rapoport continued.

"So, I don't think Cleveland is a spot for him any more. The more this goes, I kind of think he's going to be the Falcons' backup. There's no source on that, because the Falcons have told us this from the beginning," Rapoport said with a little laugh.

"It's just we kind of like... didn't believe them it feels like. But he's got family in Atlanta. He's got a no-trade clause. I'm not sure he's going to go anywhere unless something crazy happens where he'd be able to go be the starter."

The reason no one outside Flowery Branch believed the Falcons would keep Cousins, is because it's unprecedented. Teams don't keep disgruntled quarterbacks on the roster any longer than they have to.

That said, how the Falcons handled the quarterback situation last year was unprecedented, so we're in new territory here.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer discussed team's views about backup quarterbacks when discussing Sanders's apparent fall in the draft, and I couldn't help but think about how his logic applied to the Falcons and Cousins.

"Teams generally want backups at that position to blend in with the furniture," wrote Breer on SI. "It’s why guys such as Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick had trouble finding jobs, and why guys like Cam Newton and Jay Cutler struggled to extend their careers. You’ll put up with a lot of things that might come along with your starter. But most teams would rather have an anonymous guy who’ll stay out of headlines as backup QB than anyone who creates noise, whether it’s his own fault or not."

Cousins surprised many, including the Falcons' coaching staff, by showing up at voluntary workouts last week. Head coach Raheem Morris had said earlier this month that he didn't expect Cousins to attend anything voluntary this offseason.

By showing up and doing the unexpected, Cousins dominated the news cycle as Falcons players showed up for voluntary workouts. It wasn't too bad of a distraction, but a taste of what could come when reporters have access to players again.

On paper, releasing Cousins doesn't make much sense for the Falcons. They'd take on roughly a $75 million dead cap hit right away that they could spread across this season and next season. Or if they keep him, his $40-million cap hit combined with the $35 million dead cap hit they take next season adds up to the same $75 million.

It becomes a question of personalities and team chemistry. Will Cousins continue to play the good soldier after being publicly benched and contradicting team brass about a shoulder and elbow injury last year. He's already gone to owner Arthur Blank and asked to be moved.

Blank reiterated that there was no urgency to release him when "We've already paid him."

After a series of poor performances saw him benched in Atlanta, along with the Falcons trying to recoup the money they've already spent on him, the market for Cousins is a cool one.

In the movie Moneyball a scout tells Billy Beane "We're all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children's game, we just don't... don't know when that's gonna be."

The 36-year-old Cousins may decide his best option is to play nice for a year and maybe a destination opens up before the trade deadline. He'll be released in 2026 and become a free agent. The Falcons save $22 million on the cap by releasing him after 2025.

He's running out of time, and he's running out of options as the NFL is starting to tell him that he can no longer play this game.

At least he's been well compensated.