If the Minnesota Vikings want to keep Kirk Cousins, it appears they’ll have steep competition from at least one other NFC team.
The Atlanta Falcons are making Cousins their top priority at quarterback this offseason rather than trading for Justin Fields, ESPN reported Sunday.
Whether the Falcons get a chance to add Cousins seems to be dependent on the Vikings. If the Vikings fail to sign Cousins to a contract extension by March 12, the final four years of his current contract will be void, making him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.
Cousins “would be happy” to remain in Minnesota, but the Vikings have yet to make an offer that matches the “specific idea” he’s seeking in his next contract, per ESPN. The Vikings can’t place the franchise tag on Cousins, putting a greater risk of possibly losing him this offseason.
Cousins headlines the possible free-agent quarterback class of veteran quarterbacks who could be on the move this offseason despite tearing his Achilles in October. The 35-year-old was still playing at a high level before the injury, throwing for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in the first eight weeks of the season. He’s ranked as the second-best possible free agent this offseason by FOX Sports’ NFL writers.
The Falcons appear to be hunting for a veteran quarterback as well. If they fail to sign Cousins, their backup plan at quarterback might be to sign Baker Mayfield. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is widely viewed as the second-best quarterback expected to hit the free market this offseason and is ranked as the 13th-best free agent this offseason by FOX Sports’ NFL writers.
Oddsmakers are reflecting the Falcons’ interest in Cousins. While the Vikings are still the betting favorites, Atlanta’s odds to land the QB moved from +300 to +190.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on where Cousins will play in 2024.
KIRK COUSINS NEXT TEAM ODDS
Here are the updated odds for Cousins’ next team: *
Minnesota Vikings: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Atlanta Falcons: +190 (bet $10 to win $29 total)
New England Patriots: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Pittsburgh Steelers: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Las Vegas Raiders: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Denver Broncos: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
San Francisco 49ers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Kirk Cousins ranks as the top overall NFL free agent in 2024
[More: Top 50 2024 NFL free agents]
The odds indicate it’s a two-team race for Cousins, with the Falcons closing in on the Vikings.
Atlanta seems like a reasonable landing spot for Cousins for multiple reasons. As the Falcons have been on the quarterback carousel since trading away Matt Ryan in 2022, new head coach Raheem Morris bluntly told reporters recently that “I’m probably not standing here” if the team had better quarterback play last season. Both Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke struggled last season despite having three recent first-round picks (tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson) as some of their top weapons en route to a 7-10 season.
Morris wouldn’t say who the Falcons’ next starting quarterback would be, but he implied it could be a big-name free agent as the team has $37.6 million in cap space this offseason, per OverTheCap.
“I won’t bring up names, but when you’re going through the process, you have everything open,” Morris said. “We’ve got so many avenues right now because we have free agency money, we have the ability to trade, whether it be trade for a player with a team, or be it trade up or back in the draft. It’s just really about the different scenarios you want to have at the quarterback position.”
Something that could help the Falcons land Cousins is their location. Cousins’ wife, Julie, grew up in the Atlanta area, so signing with the Falcons could serve as a homecoming for the family.
Even though the two sides haven’t come to terms on an extension agreement yet, the Vikings still want Cousins to remain in Minnesota.
“I know Kirk is going to go through a full process,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told NFL Network on Saturday. “He’s a process guy. And hopefully we continue to be a strong part in that process and we figure out a way to keep him a Minnesota Viking.”
O’Connell implied that some teams might be tampering with Cousins during his interview with NFL Network.
“The combine gave everybody else an opportunity, whether they’re supposed to be or not, to maybe have some conversations,” O’Connell said.
Beyond the Falcons and Vikings, there haven’t been many other teams linked to Cousins despite his stature as one of the league’s better quarterbacks. The New England Patriots haven’t shown interest in Cousins as they’re eyeing Mayfield instead, according to the Boston Herald.
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