Get Ready to Hear Kirk Cousins/Atlanta Buzz if Falcons Hire Belichick

Legendary ex-Patriots coach Bill Belichick will have a second interview with the Atlanta Falcons for their head coaching vacancy this weekend, according to reports. That's a notable development that suggests there's at least a decent chance of Belichick taking the job in Atlanta.

Why is that relevant to the Vikings? Because if Belichick does end up with the Falcons, get ready to hear a ton of speculation about Kirk Cousins winding up there, too.

It makes plenty of sense when you put the pieces together.

Belichick, who turns 72 in April, went 29-38 with no playoff wins over the last four years without Tom Brady. The quarterbacks who started games for him during that time were Cam Newton, Brian Hoyer, Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe. The Patriots bottomed out at 4-13 this year, with Jones and Zappe combining for 16 passing touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Belichick might not want to deal with the uncertainty of young quarterbacks anymore.

That's where Cousins could come in. He's a proven veteran who is usually viewed in the 10-15 range when it comes to NFL quarterback rankings. He was also playing some of the best football of his career this season before tearing his Achilles. Cousins would give Belichick a reliable option who could help the Falcons compete for the NFC South title in 2024 and beyond.

Cousins has said he wants to finish his career in Minnesota, but he also made it clear that he wants a contract that reflects his value. If the Vikings don't want to pay him what he feels he's worth, he seems open to pursuing another opportunity elsewhere.

"My kids love their kindergarten (in Minnesota)," Cousins said earlier this month. "So, there's all kind of factors, but you also have to remind yourself, if it comes to it, I’ll have to find a good kindergarten somewhere else. You ultimately just want to try and find a fit that makes the most sense."

The Cousins family already has a connection to the Atlanta area. Kirk's wife Julie is from the area, the two were married in the Atlanta suburbs, and Julie's parents still reside there. That would make it an easy transition from an off-the-field perspective.

The football side of things — specifically, an opportunity to contend for a Super Bowl — will be a more important factor for Cousins, who turns 36 this year and is coming off the first major injury of his career. The Falcons make sense from that standpoint, too, particularly if Belichick becomes the head coach. Who wouldn't want to go play for an eight-time Super Bowl champion often regarded as the greatest coach in NFL history?

The Falcons have an excellent offensive line, a talented young skill position group (Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts), and a defense that finished 12th in opponent EPA per play in 2023. That's a pretty good football fit for Cousins. Atlanta could be a potential landing spot for him no matter who ends up getting the head coaching job there (Jim Harbaugh and Ben Johnson have also interviewed this week).

But it looks like it might be Belichick, which would presumably signal that the Falcons would go completely into win-now mode. And that would make the Cousins-to-Atlanta buzz grow pretty loud, you'd have to think.

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