Latest news with #KirkCousins
USA Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
ESPN lays out four potential trade scenarios for Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
ESPN lays out four potential trade scenarios for Falcons QB Kirk Cousins ESPN breaks down what a potential Kirk Cousins trade could look like The Atlanta Falcons may have the best backup quarterback in the league on their bench. Veteran Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason but was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. Since the Falcons are giving Penix the keys to the offense, trading Cousins would be best for all parties involved. Now that the June 1 deadline has passed, Atlanta could move Cousins without devastating financial ramifications. The question is whether or not another team would actually pay the veteran quarterback's $27.5 million salary for the 2025 season. ESPN's Dan Graziano, Jeremy Fowler, Ben Solak and Seth Walder pitched hypothetical trade scenarios for the Falcons to move Cousins. Let's take a look at all four theoretical trades below. Trade 1 (Fowler): Falcons-Browns Fowler's trade has the Falcons sending Cousins and a seventh-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for quarterback Kenny Pickett and a sixth-round pick. Cleveland currently has Joe Flacco, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders and Pickett competing for the QB1 spot with Deshaun Watson out (Achilles). The Falcons could strike a deal where they front $17.5 million of Cousins' guaranteed money for 2025, and Pickett would be Atlanta's new QB2. -- Jeremy Fowler Trade 2 (Graziano): Falcons-Vikings Graziano's proposed trade sends Cousins back to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick, a seventh-round selection in 2027 and cash considerations ($10 milllion). Well, it makes sense for all three sides, really, counting Cousins himself. He wants a chance to start and could use his no-trade clause to nix a deal to any place he doesn't want to go. But if he has to be a backup, we know he liked living in Minnesota and playing for the Vikings. -- Dan Graziano Trade 3 (Solak): Falcons-Steelers Ben Solak's trade proposal sends Cousins to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick and cash considerations. With Pittsburgh still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, Cousins may start to look like a more appealing, less dramatic option at quarterback. Cousins is a good fit for coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, which doesn't need its quarterback to move much out of the pocket. This late of a draft pick is close to Cousins' value, and I'd imagine the Falcons are still willing to swallow $20 million -- maybe even more -- of his salary to get this deal done. -- Ben Solak Trade 4 (Walder): Falcons-Vikings In the second proposed trade with the Vikings, the Falcons would send Cousins to Minnesota for quarterback Sam Howell and cash considerations. Howell was acquired by the Vikings during the 2025 NFL draft in a trade with the Seahawks. The key to the compensation for a Cousins deal is how much of his guaranteed money the acquiring team will take on. I'll raise Dan's offer and say the Vikings pay $12 million of it. This would allow Atlanta to save a little face and get out of the situation with a different backup quarterback. -- Seth Walder All four offers have upside, and it makes sense that Atlanta would seek a backup-caliber quarterback to replace Cousins. The team signed Easton Stick in free agency, but he has limited starting experience. If the Falcons could land Pickett or Howell, while shedding Cousins and some cash, it would be a major win for the team.
New York Times
14 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. has stepped up; now he's working on speaking up
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The only measuring stick Darnell Mooney can think of to illustrate Michael Penix Jr.'s progress in becoming a more vocal leader is that this year Penix will sometimes tell Mooney his music stinks. Mooney, the Falcons' sixth-year wide receiver, likes a wide range of genres. Penix, the team's second-year quarterback, is hip-hop only. Advertisement 'He's being a little more vocal with that,' Mooney said, 'but he's still a quiet guy.' So quiet that Penix still keeps his thoughts on the subject mostly to himself. 'I don't refuse to listen to it,' the quarterback said. 'It's a little different than mine. I'll listen to it, but in the back of my head, I'll be like, 'Turn it off.'' Penix was thrust into a leadership position in Atlanta in Week 16 last season when he replaced veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback and then started the final three games. This offseason, the Falcons have been emphatic that Penix is their quarterback of the future, and the 25-year-old is trying to get more comfortable with all that comes with his new role, which requires more talking. Still, the University of Washington product is so serene that it was the first thing veteran wide receiver Jamal Agnew learned when he joined the team as a free agent in March. 'They always joke around like, 'Mike don't talk much,'' Agnew said. 'I'm starting to realize that.' Quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams recently relayed Penix's emotional outburst last season on the day he learned he was being elevated to the starting job, fulfilling a dream he had had for most of his life. 'We had some taco trucks outside, and we just walked and went and got a taco,' Williams said. 'He ate one and asked if I wanted the other one. I'm like, 'No, I'm good.'' No, 'Yipee!' No, 'How about that!' No, 'Woo-hoo!' Just get a taco and get back to work. The Falcons coaches don't care that their quarterback is not the talkative type. In fact, they have come to view his preternatural calm as a strength and maybe even a superpower. 'Everyone has their own leadership style,' passing game coordinator T.J. Yates said. 'He's going to be very different from Kirk. He's not a guy that is going to be super out loud. He leads a lot by example, by how hard he works. He's never going to be a big rah-rah guy, it's not his personality.' Advertisement Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Penix has 'a real unique kind of wide receiver vibe to him when he's talking to the guys.' 'He's finding his voice,' Morris said. 'He leads a little bit differently, probably than a lot of people. We've got to find a healthy rhythm in how you coach it up and how you really encourage it. A lot of times you want people to talk, but you don't give them an opportunity to. The more opportunities you give them, the better he'll get at it, and that's what I'm looking forward to doing.' Penix is in the first phase of what Morris envisions as a three-step evaluation of his leadership process. 'When you take over that quarterback spot, there's a certain humility about playing the position, and then it becomes a certain confidence about playing the position. It eventually turns into a little bit of almost an arrogance about playing the position where it becomes non-negotiable,' the coach said. 'We're not there yet. I don't think we will be for a little bit.' Still, Morris said he believes Penix is beginning to gain the confidence special quarterbacks possess. 'I've been fortunate enough to be around a few of them in the last two in Matt Ryan and obviously (Matthew) Stafford out in L.A.,' Morris said. 'When they had that kind of control and you felt that kind of arrogance, you felt those kind of guys that could just go out there and win any football game. You felt like you couldn't be beat. It was really just coming off of those guys in those moments. You can feel it at times (with Penix), even last year, but those things are coming.' Them boys up to something 🔥@themikepenix x @DrakeLondon_ — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 29, 2025 Penix had a conversation this offseason with Ryan, who was not known for his verbal reserve. 'He talked to me about his time and how he got to where he ended up, his building blocks,' Penix said. 'That was big time.' Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews called Penix 'very reserved' and acknowledged that he wondered last season how Penix would handle the starting job. Advertisement 'But right when he got in the huddle, it was like, 'This guy knows what he's doing,'' Matthews said. 'Very quiet guy off the field, but a great dude. Someone you want to do well for.' Penix has focused this season on getting to know more of his teammates and more about them. Quietly, of course. 'I feel like I've done a lot better connecting with everybody around the team, not just offensive guys but defensive guys as well,' he said. 'Whether that's doing things around the facility, eating lunch, or going out and playing golf. I like to get to know my teammates. I don't think you can lead anybody if you don't know them. You have to build relationships. I want to get to know those guys to know who can take certain leadership styles, if it's verbal right there in the moment or if it's pulling you to the side. Hanging out with them more, that's it.' Mooney has appreciated the effort. 'I think he's been doing well owning that he's the guy and that he's going to be the guy,' he said. 'He's done a good job of showing up every day. Just continue to show up.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Steelers quarterback dilemma deepens as ESPN panel splits over Kirk Cousins vs. Aaron Rodgers
Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback situation remains uncertain (Getty Images) As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to face uncertainty under center, a new twist in the quarterback carousel has analysts and fans buzzing. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields no longer seen as long-term options, attention is now zeroing in on two aging but high-profile quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. On ESPN's Get Up, analysts Bart Scott, Mike Tannenbaum, and Peter Schrager debated who would be the better fit for the Steelers—and their perspectives couldn't be more divided. Kirk Cousins presents a longer-term, yet expensive, solution for Pittsburgh Cousins, who inked a massive $180 million deal with the Falcons last offseason, has become a financial headache for Atlanta after being benched midseason. He's missed OTAs, and his hefty contract may be too much for the Falcons to carry. Bart Scott believes Cousins may provide stability, saying, 'Kirk Cousins offers you multiple years of a solution, but with his injury history and also his salary demands, what kind of deal does that mean going forward?' Scott also pointed to Pittsburgh's lingering QB void after Kenny Pickett didn't pan out: 'The reason why there's an opening there is Kenny Pickett was a bust… I believe so.' Mike Tannenbaum, former Jets GM, agreed—especially if Pittsburgh can negotiate down Cousins' salary: 'I'd much rather have Kirk Cousins than Aaron Rodgers.' Aaron Rodgers could be a short-term fix with less financial risk Rodgers, meanwhile, is still undecided about playing in 2025 after missing most of last season with an Achilles injury. Scott acknowledged Rodgers' potential value, saying, 'I don't think he's a better play. I think Aaron Rodgers had a sneaky solid season coming back from the Achilles.' But he argued that Cousins offers more continuity for the team. Peter Schrager pushed back, calling a Cousins trade a 'panic move': 'They could have traded for Kirk Cousins in March… To me, this seems like a desperate move.' Scott flipped the desperation narrative, saying it's Atlanta that needs to act: 'Desperate for who? Because last I checked the Atlanta Falcons were $13 million over the salary cap.' Also Read: Aaron Rodgers leaves Steelers hanging as potential signing remains shrouded in silence and speculation In the end, Pittsburgh's quarterback drama remains unresolved as the franchise waits for Rodgers to decide—and possibly eyes Cousins as a strategic backup plan. Either way, it's clear the Steelers' 2025 season hinges on solving this puzzle.
USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
Seahawks all-time record vs NFC South: updated for 2025
Seahawks all-time record vs NFC South: updated for 2025 For the past two years, we at Seahawks Wire have been tracking the Seattle Seahawks' all-time records against every team in the NFL. It is important, we feel, to keep an updated log of Seattle's history and how they stack up with other squads in the league. We are resuming this ongoing series with updated records headed into the 2025 season. We began our recent trip down memory lane with the Seahawks' records against the NFC West. Since Seattle is paired to go against the NFC South this year, it is only fitting we continue with those teams. The last time the Seahawks had to face all four teams in the NFC South was during the 2022 season. Seattle was also paired with the NFC South during their 2013 Super Bowl championship campaign. All-time record: Seattle leads the series 13-9 Regular season : Seattle leads the series 13-7 : Seattle leads the series 13-7 Postseason: Atlanta is 2-0 against Seattle in the playoffs Longest win streak: the Seahawks and Falcons have both won four-straight games against one another, which is the longest in the series. However, Seattle has done so twice, from November 1976 to October 1988, and December 2000 to September 2005. Most recent outcome: October 20th, 2024 - Seahawks take care of business easily against the Falcons in a dominating 34-14 win in Atlanta to snap a three-game losing streak. Seattle intercepted Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins twice, and forced a fumble, which was returned 36-yards by Derick Hall for a touchdown. All-time record: Seattle leads the series 11-5 Regular season : Seattle leads the series 9-4 : Seattle leads the series 9-4 Postseason: Seattle holds a 2-1 record against Carolina in the playoffs Longest win streak: Seattle, five-straight from December 2010 through January 2015. Most recent outcome: September 24th, 2023 - the Seahawks honor the 10th anniversary of their Super Bowl XLVIII winning squad at home against the team they opened the 2013 season against with a 37-27 win over the Panthers. It was the first time in franchise history the Seahawks chose to wear their white jerseys at home, making them the last team in the NFL to do so. All-time record: New Orleans leads the series 10-8 Regular season : New Orleans leads the series 10-6 : New Orleans leads the series 10-6 Postseason: Seattle is 2-0 over New Orleans in the playoffs Longest win streak: New Orleans is currently on a four-game win streak, which is the longest by either team in the series. This streak began in October 2016 and is still active. Most recent outcome: October 9th, 2022 - Seattle's defense cannot slow the Saints down, as they are outgunned 39-32 in the Superdome to lose their fourth-straight meeting against New Orleans. All-time record: Seattle leads the series 9-6 Regular season : Seattle leads the series 9-6 : Seattle leads the series 9-6 Postseason: N/A Longest win streak: Seattle won the first four-straight meetings between these teams from October 1976 to September 1996. It remains the longest streak by either team. Most recent outcome: November 13th, 2022 - in the NFL's first international game in Germany, the Seahawks fell to Tom Brady's Buccaneers 21-16 in a sluggish defensive affair. Tampa led 14-0 at half and led 21-3 in the fourth quarter, but Seattle did mount a comeback attempt, which included then-rookie cornerback Riq Woolen intercepting a pass intended for Tom Brady on a trick play. Unfortunately, the Seahawks could not get one final stop on defense and the Bucs drained the clock to end the game.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Simms' '25 QB Countdown: ‘Don't Forget About Me'
Chris Simms isn't leaving any QB left behind in his 2025 QB Countdown, and for Kirk Cousins, he lands in the 'Don't Forget About Me' tier with uncertainty around his true potential at a "tipping point" in his career.
