Saints-Falcons Trade Idea Ships $180M Four-Time Pro Bowler To New Orleans

"You like that," Saints fans?

Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Falcons helmet on the sidelines before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

No one seems prepared to fully believe the New Orleans Saints when they say they're comfortable with their quarterback depth chart.

Sure, second-round rookie Tyler Shough might turn out to be a serviceable starter. But he's a total wild card, a soon-to-be 26-year-old with only one full season of starts under his belt in college, and his prospective backup, Spencer Rattler, showed next to nothing as a rookie.

Meanwhile, the Saints' division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, have a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback expected to ride the bench this season, unless they can find a taker for a trade.

Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons before they drafted Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the 2024 draft, would presumably be up for grabs if some team (like the Saints?) was willing to take on that contract.

On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski named the Saints among a group of prospective suitors if Cousins is indeed traded before the season.

"A veteran addition might be ideal for this roster, considering the Saints still feature running back Alvin Kamara, wide receivers Chris Olave and Brandin Cooks, tight end Juwan Johnson, center Erik McCoy, defensive end Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis and safety Tyrann Mathieu," Sobleski wrote. "Everyone mentioned, except for Olave, will be 28 or older at the start of the season."

"The Falcons shouldn't fear moving Cousins to a rival outfit, not when the organization benched him last year—no matter the circumstances—and believes Penix is the right person to lead the squad."

Cousins is entering his age-37, is still only a year removed from a devastating Achilles' injury, and played far below his career standards last year. But when it comes to track records, you'd still almost definitely rather have him under center than Shough in a crucial game at this moment.

That's not to say the Saints will make this move, or even that they should. But their rationale would be clear if they did: trying to win as many games as possible in 2025 and seeing where it leads them.

More NFL: Saints Writer Advocates For Trade To Bring 4x Pro Bowler Back To New Orleans