Kirk Cousins Reportedly Never a Possibility for Bengals

Kirk Cousins and his future with the Atlanta Falcons have been the subject of speculation for much of the last eight months. Will they trade him? Are they okay with him remaining on the roster through the 2025 season? All signs have pointed to the veteran remaining with the team through the November 4th trade deadline, and this week’s quarterback trade may go even further in making that a reality.

The Cincinnati Bengals lost Joe Burrow to an injury, and a squad that was expected to be a Super Bowl contender was left floundering on offense with Jake Browning. After losing three straight games, they needed to make a move, and quickly.

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With the pressing nature of their situation, all options could have been on the table. Yet, the Bengals ended up with a 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who had just been benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel.

In a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Bengals made calls to “pretty much any team that had more than two quarterbacks on its roster” – a list that would include the Falcons.

There was plenty of chatter about Cousins being a premium option for them. All told, any deal for Cousins was reportedly never a real possibility for the Bengals. Neither were the New York Giant veterans, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

According to earlier reports, the Falcons have never been too eager to deal their veteran backup. This would keep with a trend that has been consistent with the organization, despite any thoughts to the contrary from external sources. The Falcons have been unwilling to come off their high asking price, maintaining that he would be a reliable backup in case something should happen to Michael Penix Jr.

According to Spotrac, the quarterback carries a base of $27.5 million and a dead cap hit of $75 million. Over the offseason, the Falcons were asking for teams to take on that salary as a starting point.

Teams were clearly not willing to do that then, and have not been – even now, with a desperate team like Cincinnati. For that reason, Cousins has not been moved.

Speculative pieces will continue to circulate until the trade deadline arrives in November. With the Falcons sitting at 2-2 and an insurance policy on their bench, the team is increasingly unlikely to move the veteran unless their demands are met.

This move for Flacco is just more evidence of that mindset.