Could Saints Replace Derek Carr With Trade For Hated Division Rival?

Could the Saints trade for Kirk Cousins?

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

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently listed Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins as one of the more likely players in the league to be traded this offseason.

"Atlanta will move forward with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., so Cousins, who has been a full-time starter since 2015, probably wants an opportunity to lead an offense elsewhere," Moton wrote.

Could that opportunity come with the division rival New Orleans Saints?

Let's dive into it.

The Saints need a new quarterback, especially if Derek Carr is going to miss the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury. A lot of experts are linking the Saints to Shedeur Sanders at pick No. 9 in the NFL Draft. But if Sanders lands with a different team, the Saints need to add a signal caller. Even if the Saints land Sanders, they could use a one-year bridge quarterback to keep the team afloat until Sanders is ready.

The obvious complication with this trade is the fact that the Saints and Falcons are bitter rivals. Atlanta would likely want to avoid trading a player to its rival when that player could come back and beat the Falcons twice next season.

But getting rid of Cousins and his contract would be a net-positive for the Falcons. Pair this with the draft capital that would return in the trade and the Falcons could consider it.

But the Saints likely wouldn't want to spend the money to bring in a guy like Cousins. New Orleans needs a signal caller next season, but Cousins is very expensive and proved last season that he might not be very capable of winning games anymore.

This is an interesting idea to look into, but the likelihood that the Saints trade for Cousins is quite low.

More NFL: Saints Predicted To Make Emergency Draft Day Trade For Shedeur Sanders