Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons will likely formally part ways within the next month, and one AFC team has been mentioned as a possible landing spot.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Sunday, Jeremy Fowler suggested that the New York Jets might have interest in Cousins once he becomes available.
Fowler pointed out that the Jets had interest in Cousins in the past, and may rekindle that now.
“The NFL Scouting Combine is in about a week-and-a-half. I expect Atlanta and Cousins’ agent to talk about the future, see what they can shake out,” Fowler said, via Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report. “You know, the New York Jets, once upon a time, wanted to sign Cousins. He’s going to be one of the best options.”
Fowler added that Cousins is due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17, and the Falcons will be eager to sort out his future by that point.
The Jets were all in on Cousins in 2018, but he essentially used them as leverage and wound up signing with the Minnesota Vikings. The front office is different now, but it does stand to reason that the Jets could wind up looking Cousins’ way again. The team has decided to move on from Aaron Rodgers, and they lack a clear solution at the quarterback position in both the short-term and long-term.
If the Jets pursue Cousins, they will definitely face competition. The team is coming off a 5-12 season, but there is talent on offense and defense, and they have a starting job to offer. They could try to sell Cousins on a quick turnaround thanks to the presence of the likes of Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
Cousins lost his starting job with Atlanta late last season, with rookie Michael Penix Jr. supplanting him. A big reason for that was Cousins’ turnover issues, with 16 interceptions in only 14 games. He did still throw for 3,508 yards.
There were also some concerns that Cousins had not fully recovered from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023, though the Falcons dismissed those worries.
The 36-year-old quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta last offseason. He will not get anything like that this time, but he appears to be fully healthy now, and still believes he can win as an NFL starter.
