The Atlanta Falcons decided to bench veteran starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. He will make his first career start against the New York Giants in Week 16. The Falcons remain in the hunt for the NFC South division title.
Cousins has struggled mightily throughout recent showings. The veteran signal-caller has thrown nine interceptions and just one touchdown in Atlanta's last five games. The Falcons have gone 1-4 throughout that stretch, with one non-convincing win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year contract worth $180 million. With Penix Jr. officially replacing the recently inked veteran, general manager Terry Fontenot should attempt to trade Cousins this offseason. Atlanta would carry a dead cap charge of $37.5 million, but save nearly $28 million in cash. We've identified three potential landing spots.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans made the decision to bench sophomore quarterback Will Levis earlier this week. This likely ended the Levis era in Tennessee, with Mason Rudolph taking over for the final three contests. The Titans will be in the market for a new starting quarterback this offseason.
The Titans aren't currently slated to draft early enough to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, and the draft class got weaker following Drew Allar’s decision to return to Penn State. General manager Ran Carthon also possesses roughly $63 million in cap space this summer. Carthon and head coach Brian Callahan are under pressure following a disappointing campaign and may prefer to pursue a veteran quarterback that could help them win in 2025.
San Francisco 49ers
We're getting a little galaxy-brain here, but San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has always appreciated Cousins. Loose rumors have been linking him to the Bay Area-based club for years. With Brock Purdy’s contract negotiations slated for this summer, perhaps it's within the realm of possibility that the 49ers intend to get creative this offseason.
Purdy is well-positioned to command $60 million per season in negotiations. That makes Cousins' deal ($45 million APY) team-friendly by comparison. A Super Bowl continues to elude Shanahan's 49ers, and 2024 is trending toward being a wasted campaign. Perhaps they'll believe a veteran quarterback like Cousins is better capable of getting them over the hump.
New York Giants
The New York Giants currently own the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. That means Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll may not receive an opportunity to hand-pick their preferred quarterback prospect. Acquiring a veteran signal-caller is an alternative scenario.
Now that the Giants have escaped the Daniel Jones contract mistake, they possess enough financial wiggle room to consider all options. They're slated to possess roughly $57.2 million in cap space. Additionally, Schoen and Daboll will be under pressure to deliver immediate results next season after enduring another losing campaign. Perhaps they can't afford to struggle with a rookie quarterback.
