<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-rumors-kirk-cousins-watch-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rams rumors: Kirk Cousins a name to watch before trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kirk-Cousins-of-the-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rams rumors: Kirk Cousins a name to watch before trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T16:41:00-07:00">August 15th, 4:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T16:41:00-07:00">August 15th, 4:41pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Rams</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trade rumors have been surrounding the Atlanta Falcons all offseason as Michael Penix Jr. is set to be the starting quarterback. All signs point toward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-gm-terry-fontenot-kirk-cousins-dilemma">Kirk Cousins staying</a> on the roster for now. However, rumors are swirling after one NFL Insider speculated the Los Angeles Rams could make a trade for Cousins before the trade deadline.</p><p>During a guest appearance on the NFL Network, Insider Tom Pelissero thinks the Rams could be <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1956484530786689525" rel="noopener">a potential landing spot</a> for the 36-year-old quarterback. Although the Falcons seemingly claimed they have no intentions of trading Kirk Cousins, Pelissero believes things could change as the regular season proceeds.</p><p>“I’ve been told [Kirk Cousins] has had a great camp. He’s healthy again, coming off that Achilles [injury]… But Cousins has made it clear he wants to play. The Falcons did get calls on Cousins back in the spring. But it was nothing that really moved the needle… Now, if there is a coach and a scheme that Cousins knows well, for instance, the Rams and Sean McVay, it is certainly possible that Cousins could end up elsewhere at some point between now and November 4 trade deadline.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Falcons</a> QB Kirk Cousins, who won’t play tonight, is finally healthy again and has impressed in training camp. So could he see the field — somewhere — in 2025? The latest from <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLGameDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLGameDay</a> Kickoff <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Wp2qubVpiH">pic.twitter.com/Wp2qubVpiH</a></p><p>— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1956484530786689525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Trading for Kirk Cousins would likely only occur if something major happened to Matthew Stafford. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-sean-mcvay-hopeful-take-next-matthew-stafford-workout">The Rams’ quarterback has been dealing with</a> a back injury throughout the preseason and has yet to participate in training camp. However, Los Angeles seems positive that Stafford will be ready to go by the start of the regular season.</p><p>Additionally, the Falcons seem to like the idea of having Kirk Cousins play the backup role behind Penix. He brings quality insurance in case Penix falls to injury, as Atlanta is a team with playoff aspirations. With the NFL trade deadline in early November, there is plenty of time to see where both teams are in the standings before a potential trade falls through.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rams rumors: Kirk Cousins a name to watch before trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-raheem-morris-michael-penix-jr-kirk-cousins-preseason-updates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons’ Raheem Morris gives Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins preseason updates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Michael-Penix-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons’ Raheem Morris gives Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins preseason updates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-04T07:27:32-07:00">August 4th, 7:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-04T07:27:32-07:00">August 4th, 7:27am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons have a quarterback controversy of sorts, but not a quarterback competition. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-among-players-best-offense-declaration">Michael Penix Jr. is the cemented starter in Atlanta</a> after taking over for Kirk Cousins late in the 2024 season, but now the Falcons must decide what to do with the veteran backup.</p><p>Unfortunately for Falcons fans, they won’t get to see either of their quarterbacks in action on Friday in the first game action of the season. Head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday that both Penix and Cousins <a href="https://x.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1952356570978750817" rel="noopener">will not play in the game</a> and Easton Stick will get the start, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-calls-out-falcons-misleading-him-michael-penix-jr-pick">Cousins understandably wants to go</a> somewhere where he can play, while the Falcons wouldn’t mind keeping him on as one of the best backups in football. However, Cousins <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45867206/2025-nfl-training-camp-latest-updates-buzz-notes-news-fantasy-football" rel="noopener">has been present and professional</a> at Falcons training camp as Atlanta gears up for its first preseason game on Friday against the Detroit Lions.</p><p>“There’s all that stuff outside, but in the building, he’s been an ultimate professional,” general manager Terry Fontenot said, according to Fowler and Dan Graziano. “He handles things the right way. … Where we could have an issue is, ‘What’s the mindset of the starter? What’s the mindset of Kirk?’ But they’re both professionals, so it’s been good.”</p><p>Stick spent the last few seasons as Justin Herbert’s backup with the Los Angeles Chargers, and now the North Dakota State product will be able to show off all of his skills with the bulk of the reps on Friday night.</p><p>Penix and Cousins are both likely to get reps in one of the remaining two preseason games for the Falcons as they get ready for their season opener on Sept. 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>Penix started three games last season after the Falcons stunningly took him in the top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft, just after signing Cousins to a big contract in free agency. As a rookie, the former University of Washington superstar completed 58.1% of his passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions, but showed flashes of the traits that had Atlanta so enamored with him in the pre-draft process.</p><p>On the other hand, Cousins struggled in his first year in Atlanta while recovering from a torn Achilles. His mobility clearly suffered and his decision-making took a hit from his successful years with the Minnesota Vikings, leading Morris to go with Penix at the end of the season while the Falcons chased a playoff berth.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons’ Raheem Morris gives Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins preseason updates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-gm-terry-fontenot-kirk-cousins-dilemma');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons GM Terry Fontenot breaks silence on Kirk Cousins dilemma');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons GM Terry Fontenot breaks silence on Kirk Cousins dilemma</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-27T07:47:45-07:00">July 27th, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-27T07:47:45-07:00">July 27th, 7:47am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-calls-out-falcons-misleading-him-michael-penix-jr-pick">Kirk Cousins experiement with the Atlanta Falcons</a> didn’t go as expected last season, as the former Minnesota Vikings standout had one of the worst campaigns of his entire career in 2024 before being benched late in the season for Michael Penix Jr.</p><p>In free agency before the 2024 season, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons and was clearly still under the impression that he would be the starter for the team for the foreseeable future. However, he was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-legendary-wr-michael-penix-jr-kirk-cousins-dynamic">blindsided when they drafted Penix</a> and decided to make Cousins the backup late in the season.</p><p>Now, the veteran signal caller is looking to find a new home, but there aren’t a ton of logical landing spots for him as week two of training camp gets underway. On Sunday, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot spoke about Cousins’ situation and <a href="https://x.com/DOrlandoAJC/status/1949459860275204495" rel="noopener">where it stands at the moment</a>, via Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Falcons</a> GM Terry Fontenot on backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. <a href="https://t.co/9n5nERt78Z">pic.twitter.com/9n5nERt78Z</a></p><p>— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOrlandoAJC/status/1949459860275204495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Outside, it’s a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said, per Ledbetter. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody. Our job is to do the best for this football team. … We’ve gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. That’s what we’re focused on and Kirk, just like all the other players, they’re focused on coming in here and doing their job. That’s what he’s been doing.</p><p>“In terms of making moves, whether it’s trades or acquiring players, we’re always looking at those factors. We’re gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he’s been a great professional and he’s handled himself well.”</p><p>While getting rid of Cousins may be in the best interest of Cousins, the Falcons also have a strong argument to keep him around. While he had deteriorated as a starting quarterback after tearing his Achilles during the 2023 season, Cousins is still surely one of the top backups in the league.</p><p>Fontenot knows that and also knows that <a href="https://x.com/TerrinWaack/status/1949461160366842323" rel="noopener">he is still a valuable asset</a> to Atlanta’s quarterback room, via Falcons beat writer Terrin Waack.</p><p>“To be a good football team, you have to be good at that position,” Fontenot said. “Right now, we can’t say too much because we have to go out there and prove it, but we love where we’re at with that position.”</p><p>Whether Cousins is in the red and black when the season starts or elsewhere will be an interesting storyline to follow as training camp unfolds. For now, however, it appears that he is still locked in with the Falcons to start the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot breaks silence on Kirk Cousins dilemma

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-legendary-wr-michael-penix-jr-kirk-cousins-dynamic');   ga('set', 'title', 'Legendary Falcons WR gives inside scoop on Michael Penix Jr.-Kirk Cousins dynamic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Penix-and-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Legendary Falcons WR gives inside scoop on Michael Penix Jr.-Kirk Cousins dynamic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T11:01:17-07:00">July 22nd, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-22T11:01:17-07:00">July 22nd, 11:01am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-calls-out-falcons-misleading-him-michael-penix-jr-pick">Falcons have arguably the most awkward</a> quarterback room situation heading into the 2025 NFL season, as the team replaced <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-coldplay-admission-resurfaces-internet-frenzy">free agent signee Kirk Cousins</a> with rookie Michael Penix Jr. down the stretch of the 2024 season. The move came as Cousins saw his play fall off a cliff midway through the year, which he retroactively blamed on injuries despite denying them at the time.</p><p>Meanwhile, Penix Jr. played relatively well after being thrown into a tough situation.</p><p>Recently, former Falcons star wide receiver Roddy White broke down how he still thinks Cousins can help out Penix Jr. moving forward and shared <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/roddy-white-exclusive-interview-on-atlanta-falcons-michael-penix-kirk-cousins-recievers/" rel="noopener">some inside scoop</a> from his time at Falcons practice, per Dylan Wilkerson of Vegas Insider.</p><p>“I was able to watch and go inside the building and I could see by how he moves and how he is in meetings that Kirk Cousins is helping him out a real lot,” said White. “Penix Jr. has been able to see how Cousins goes through the meetings, and you can see this by the way he started to come in once he got the starting job and started to take control of meetings. He’ll have definitely learned this from Cousins.”</p><p>White also added that “it’ll be helpful for Penix Jr. to bounce any questions off Cousins and learn just like he did last year.”</p><h2><b>Strange times in Atlanta</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Michael-Penix-Jr2.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Things were already awkward enough for the Falcons when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. in 2024 just weeks after signing Cousins to a massive contract.</p><p>That draft decision ended up being a saving grace for the franchise down the stretch of last season, as Penix moved into the starting role and performed about as well as you could hope for a rookie thrown into the fire of a heated playoff race.</p><p>Many expected the Falcons to either trade or waive Cousins this offseason, but his massive contract and lukewarm reputation around the league have made those avenues difficult to pursue. At the present moment, it sure seems that both Cousins and Penix Jr. will be on the roster by the time next season rolls around.</p><p>The Falcons are slated to begin their 2025 campaign on September 7 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Legendary Falcons WR gives inside scoop on Michael Penix Jr.-Kirk Cousins dynamic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-coldplay-admission-resurfaces-internet-frenzy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons star Kirk Cousins’ Coldplay admission resurfaces amid internet frenzy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cousins-warms-up-1.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons star Kirk Cousins’ Coldplay admission resurfaces amid internet frenzy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-18T05:05:01-07:00">July 18th, 5:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-18T07:02:39-07:00">July 18th, 7:02am</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Many things are known about Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, including that he is a big fan of Coldplay.</p><p>That fact was revealed in the second season of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-praise-chiefs-coach-week-2">“Quarterback” documentary series on Netflix</a>, which premiered in mid-July. In one of the scenes, Cousins said Coldplay was “one of the best concerts I’ve been to.”</p><p>There’s nothing like listening to a banger like “Yellow” to pump up the adrenaline and get the testosterone going before a furious battle on the gridiron.</p><p>Like a sky full of stars, Cousins’ admission came to light <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/chris-martin-catches-horrified-couple-152021390.html" rel="noopener">amid the viral story</a> about a company executive caught allegedly cheating with his human resource officer during Coldplay’s concert in Boston on Wednesday. Jumping on the bandwagon, Netflix posted on X screenshots of Cousins’ comment about the award-winning band from London.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/tiDU4G8UfN">pic.twitter.com/tiDU4G8UfN</a></p><p>— Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1945906858281312516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Fans immediately chimed in, acknowledging the genius of the post.</p><p>“Netflix social department knew exactly what they were doing here,” <a href="https://x.com/KyderGames/status/1945930787313913971" rel="noopener">said</a> @KyderGames.</p><p>“Haha! Good one, Netflix,” <a href="https://x.com/KatySteele4real/status/1945907498692567474" rel="noopener">echoed</a> @KatySteele4real.</p><p>“Damn, dude, even Netflix is getting in on the action today,” <a href="https://x.com/CintrixIRL/status/1945942421675688292" rel="noopener">wrote</a> @CintrixIRL.</p><p>“Damn, even Netflix is roasting these two lol,” <a href="https://x.com/PatSharp100185/status/1945955607409823790" rel="noopener">commented</a> @PatSharp100185.</p><p>“Top tier social media manager +10 points,” <a href="https://x.com/StephieSmallls/status/1945929439046512815" rel="noopener">posted</a> @StephieSmalls.</p><p>“Timing is uncanny and uncomfortable for a certain CPO and CEO today,” <a href="https://x.com/Cparkin2009/status/1945908428712378375" rel="noopener">added</a> @Cparkin2009.</p><p>Some who seemingly didn’t appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor also came to immediately defend Cousins. They pointed out that the four-time Pro Bowler is a religious family man who would never cheat on his wife.</p><p>Truth be told, the 36-year-old signal-caller has bigger issues on his mind than an alleged affair that played out in public. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-calls-out-falcons-misleading-him-michael-penix-jr-pick">Cousins lost his starting job</a> to rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the closing games of last season. He tallied a 7-7 record, throwing for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also had a career-worst 16 interceptions.</p><p>The Falcons have not been to the playoffs for seven straight years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons star Kirk Cousins’ Coldplay admission resurfaces amid internet frenzy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-matt-ryan-defends-atlanta-stance-kirk-cousins-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Matt Ryan defends Falcons stance on Kirk Cousins decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Former-Falcons-QB-Matt-Ryan.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Matt Ryan defends Falcons stance on Kirk Cousins decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-11T10:20:35-07:00">July 11th, 10:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-11T10:20:35-07:00">July 11th, 10:20am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/matt-ryan-drops-touching-message-to-falcons-in-nfl-retirement-announcement">longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterback</a> who has been through the ups and downs of a long career, Matt Ryan feels for Kirk Cousins in his current situation. However, as a true Falcons lifer, Ryan believes the team made the right decision by drafting Michael Penix Jr. with their 2024 first-round pick.</p><p>While acknowledging that the situation is “difficult” for Cousins, Ryan stated that the Falcons had to make the Penix decision based on the current landscape of the quarterback position. The former quarterback-turned-analyst believed Atlanta <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Mnnhp7bZw&amp;t=533s" rel="noopener">needed to address the position</a> early due to the lack of depth in the 2025 and 2026 draft classes.</p><p>“I think Kirk coming in thinking he had a four or five-year runway to play there, and then them going in a different direction was probably difficult for him,” Ryan said on ‘The Dan Patrick Show.’ “But I get the organizational standpoint, because I do think, when you look at last year’s draft, the depth of that quarterback position and then projecting forward, what the next two or three drafts are going to look like and hoping that you’re not in a position to draft early — it’s the position you got to take care of.”</p><p>Ryan spent 14 years with the Falcons after they took him third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Despite being arguably the greatest quarterback in franchise history, he suffered a similar fate to Cousins when Atlanta traded him in the 2022 offseason. The team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/colts-news-matt-ryan-breaks-his-silence-on-trade-to-indy-after-14-years-with-falcons">sent a then-36-year-old Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts</a> and subsequently drafted Desmond Ridder one month later.</p><h2><b>Matt Ryan feels Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. was right choice</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cousins-and-Penix-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fans are well aware that the Ridder selection did not pan out, forcing Atlanta into its current predicament. Ridder lasted just two seasons with the team before the Falcons closed that chapter and ushered in the new Cousins-Penix era.</p><p>Not only does Ryan believe drafting a quarterback was the right decision, but he also thinks the Falcons found their guy with Penix. Though the selection was a surprise in multiple facets — Penix was not projected to be taken until late in round one before Atlanta took him at No. 9 — Ryan believes his on-field results have been encouraging thus far.</p><p>“If you’re defending the Falcons, which, you know, I’m biased because I played there so long and root for them. You have to get that position right. And when you’ve got the opportunity to acquire somebody who I think is really talented, I think Michael Penix has a lot of talent, and I think he played really well at the end of the year. You got to do it.”</p><p>Penix went just 1-2 in his three starts as a rookie, but led the offense to average 32 points per game. He ended the year on a high note, throwing for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Matt Ryan defends Falcons stance on Kirk Cousins decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-calls-out-falcons-misleading-him-michael-penix-jr-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kirk Cousins calls out Falcons for ‘misleading’ him with Michael Penix Jr. pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kirk-Cousins-is-no-longer-starting-for-the-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kirk Cousins calls out Falcons for ‘misleading’ him with Michael Penix Jr. pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-08T07:04:35-07:00">July 8th, 7:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-08T07:04:35-07:00">July 8th, 7:04am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons have one of the most delicate quarterback situations in the NFL heading into 2025. Atlanta seems determined to start Michael Penix Jr. in 2025 despite having Kirk Cousins on the roster. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/nfl-rumors-kirk-cousins-signal-to-trade-suitors-amid-falcons-conundrum">Falcons do not seem interested in trading Cousins</a> either, which leaves them in an awkward position. Naturally, Cousins is not happy about the situation.</p><p>Falcons QB Kirk Cousins went off on Atlanta in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/entertainment/netflix-joe-burrow-jared-goff-kirk-cousins-return-quarterback-series">new season of the Netflix series Quarterback</a>, which premiered on Tuesday.</p><p>Cousins said <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45693026/kirk-cousins-felt-misled-falcons-drafted-michael-penix-jr" rel="noopener">that he felt “a little bit misled”</a> when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/meet-michael-penix-jr-the-falcons-no-8-pick-in-2024-nfl-draft">Atlanta drafted Penix in the 2024 NFL Draft</a>.</p><p>“Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said on the first episode. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.”</p><p>Cousins clearly felt like he was led astray by the Falcons organization. This is important context when considering his trade request from earlier this offseason.</p><p>The relationship between the Falcons and Cousins seems to have deteriorated in record time.</p><h2><b>Falcons QB Kirk Cousins opens up about Week 10 arm injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kirk-Cousins-with-Atlanta-Falcons-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cousins also made a big admission about an arm injury from the 2024 season on Quarterbacks.</p><p>In Week 10, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-kirk-cousins-clears-the-air-on-injury-status-after-broncos-loss">Cousins suffered a hit from Payton Turner</a>, who slammed into his right arm. He admitted on Quarterbacks that he immediately knew something was wrong and later felt shoulder pain.</p><p>Cousins stayed in the lineup for another four weeks and played poorly. He declared that he did not want to lose his job to Penix.</p><p>“The information I had at the time, I made the best decision,” Cousins said. “You also know that if you sit down Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back. I remember reading Drew Brees’ book back in 2010 when he first wrote it, how he made the point that he tried to never let his backup see the field. Even if it was somebody who was really no threat. He just felt like you should never do that. Doug Flutie taught him that.”</p><p>Cousins clearly did not want to lose his job to a rookie, especially after the surprise draft pick.</p><p>“So that was something I always was aware of, that in this league, if you give someone else the chance, if you want to get ‘Wally Pipped’ and there’s Lou Gehrig behind you, that can happen at the time,” Cousins concluded.</p><p>It will be interesting to see what Cousins’ next move is at the start of training camp.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kirk Cousins calls out Falcons for ‘misleading’ him with Michael Penix Jr. pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-trade-buzz-gets-shut-down-by-peter-schrager');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons’ Kirk Cousins trade buzz gets shut down by Peter Schrager');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins_d2b148.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brett Davis</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons’ Kirk Cousins trade buzz gets shut down by Peter Schrager</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-10T17:05:29-07:00">June 10th, 5:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-10T17:05:29-07:00">June 10th, 5:05pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/kirk-cousins-trade-talks-in-cold-water-after-aaron-rodgers-deal">Kirk Cousins</a> and the Atlanta Falcons have an interesting situation heading into this season. Cousins is very much still capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Despite this, Cousins will enter the season as the backup behind Michael Penix Jr. Peter Schrager of ESPN shuts down any rumor that Cousins will be traded.</p><p>Earlier on Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-breaks-silence-mandatory-minicamp-attendance">Cousins broke his silence during mandatory minicamp</a>.</p><p>Schrager joins the Pat McAfee show often to discuss the latest in the league. On Tuesday, former NFL cornerback <a href="https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1932493729958343087" rel="noopener">Darius Butler asked Schrager if Cousins could be traded</a>.</p><p>He quickly stated that the trade is unlikely.</p><p>“From what I’m hearing, it sounds like Cousins with his no-trade clause, after (Aaron) Rodgers’ seat has been filled, is going to be an Atlanta Falcon, and is going to be the backup to Michael Penix, and he’s going to collect every last cent of that contract.”</p><p>It makes sense for Cousins to collect the money from the contract and remain a Falcon. Cousins is very good QB with many electric moments in his career. There are not many options available for him to start for, and so, remaining a Falcon makes sense. An injury can surface at any time, and then maybe the trade talks can pick up when that happens. For now, Cousins will back up Penix Jr. and help build a strong offense with a lot of firepower.</p><p>Penix Jr. started the final five games of last season but threw just three touchdowns and three interceptions. With a full offseason under his belt as the starter, Penix will improve, and Cousins will help him get there with his experience.</p><p>The Falcons play in a winnable NFC South Division, and they will compete with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the division. The Carolina Panthers will be an average team, and the New Orleans Saints will be tough to watch. Cousins still has an opportunity to play, depending on how well Penix Jr plays this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins trade buzz gets shut down by Peter Schrager

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-breaks-silence-mandatory-minicamp-attendance');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons’ Kirk Cousins breaks silence on mandatory minicamp attendance');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins-jogging.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Krohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons’ Kirk Cousins breaks silence on mandatory minicamp attendance</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-10T12:02:07-07:00">June 10th, 12:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-10T12:02:37-07:00">June 10th, 12:02pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kirk Cousins is still <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-no-surprise-mandatory-minicamp-decision">committed to the Atlanta Falcons</a>, even after the offseason drama that followed his rocky debut season with the team. Despite the ongoing trade and release rumors, the veteran quarterback showed up for the Falcons’ 2025 mandatory minicamp and doubled down on his dedication to the franchise.</p><p>After the team’s first minicamp practice, Cousins said he <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1932500722483904815" rel="noopener">just wants to “move forward”</a> with the Falcons, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 36-year-old is preparing to enter his season as the backup for the first time since 2014.</p><p>“We’re moving forward, and it’s about how we, as a team and as a quarterback room, can be the best we can be in 2025,” Cousins said, via Rapoport.</p><p>Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in 2024, just months before the team shockingly drafted Michael Penix Jr. at No. 9. Cousins started the first 14 games of the year before being benched in favor of Penix, who started the final three games. Atlanta ended the year going 7-7 with Cousins and 1-2 with Penix.</p><p>With Penix now the full-time starter, many <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-rumors-kirk-cousins-expected-traded-2025-draft-capital">expected the Falcons to trade or release Cousins</a> in the 2025 offseason. Instead, the team appears content entering training camp with Cousins as Penix’s backup, even with his inflated salary.</p><h2><b>Falcons’ quarterback room with Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Penix-Jr-and-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Penix is undoubtedly the Falcons’ future moving forward, but Cousins appears to also be a part of it. Atlanta had difficulty finding a suitable partner willing to accept the latter’s lofty deal, while not wanting to buy out the remaining $150 million. Rival teams expressed interest in adding Cousins, but not at his current price.</p><p>The Falcons added two other quarterbacks ahead of OTAs to fill out their offseason quarterback room. While Cousins sat out of the voluntary OTAs, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-add-veteran-quarterback-amid-kirk-cousins-trade-rumors">Atlanta added longtime Los Angeles Chargers backup Easton Stick</a> and former undrafted rookie Emory Jones. Stick has not taken the field since 2023, while Jones has yet to play an official NFL snap.</p><p>Barring an unexpected turn of events, Stick will likely land on the team’s practice squad, with Jones looking like a cut candidate. Cousins could still be traded before Week 1, but the Falcons seem to have come to terms with the idea that he will begin the regular season on their roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins breaks silence on mandatory minicamp attendance

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-no-surprise-mandatory-minicamp-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons’ Kirk Cousins makes ‘no surprise’ mandatory minicamp decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kirk-Cousins-is-no-longer-the-Falcons-starting-quarterback-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons’ Kirk Cousins makes ‘no surprise’ mandatory minicamp decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-10T08:34:24-07:00">June 10th, 8:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-10T08:57:46-07:00">June 10th, 8:57am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite rumors and speculation, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-expected-attend-minicamp-amid-trade-rumors">Kirk Cousins is not at odds with the Atlanta Falcons</a>. After skipping the team’s voluntary OTAs, the Falcons’ veteran quarterback expectedly arrived at mandatory minicamp.</p><p>The move was “no surprise” to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, who added that the team <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1932452542908072231" rel="noopener">plans to keep him</a> as a backup. Though believing he is good enough to start, Cousins appears content with the role.</p><p>Cousins entered the 2024 season as the team’s starter, but lost the job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. In the five weeks leading up to his benching, Cousins threw just one touchdown to a whopping nine interceptions. Penix subsequently led the team to a 1-2 finish down the stretch, with both losses coming in overtime.</p><p>Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/grading-kirk-cousins-4-year-180-million-contract-with-falcons">owing Cousins over $150 million</a> over the next three seasons, the Falcons still view him as a valuable backup to Penix. Atlanta believes in Penix, the No. 9 overall pick in 2024, as its franchise quarterback and has high hopes for his first full season as the starter.</p><p>In his three starts as a rookie, Penix threw for 737 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He improved with each outing, ending the season with a career-high 312 passing yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Carolina Panthers.</p><h2><b>Falcons’ quarterback situation with Kirk Cousins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kirk-Cousins-18-prepares-for-a-game-against-the-New-York-Giants-at-Mercedes-Benz-Stadium.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If the Falcons trade Cousins before the offseason ends, Easton Stick and Emory Jones are their remaining backup options. Stick, who backed up Justin Herbert for four years with the Los Angeles Chargers, would be the favorite to win the job.</p><p>While Cousins is easily the most expensive backup in the league, he is the only quarterback on the Falcons’ roster with meaningful experience. Throughout the history of the league, most successful young quarterbacks have thrived while sharing a locker room with a veteran.</p><p>Atlanta clearly sees Penix as the leader of a new era, but the southpaw comes with minor injury concerns. Penix played just two full seasons in college, both with Washington at the end of his six-year career. Before then, he never played more than six games in a single season through four years with Indiana.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins makes ‘no surprise’ mandatory minicamp decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-expected-attend-minicamp-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kirk Cousins expected to attend Falcons minicamp amid trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cousins-warms-up-1.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kirk Cousins expected to attend Falcons minicamp amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-09T11:23:34-07:00">June 9th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-09T11:23:34-07:00">June 9th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons have gotten themselves into quite the conundrum at the quarterback position. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/grading-kirk-cousins-4-year-180-million-contract-with-falcons">Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a huge contract</a> last offseason and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-what-makes-kirk-cousins-trade-difficult">seemingly refuses to trade him away</a>. It seems that Cousins will be a team player at the next phase of the team’s offseason program.</p><p>The Falcons expect Kirk Cousins to <a href="https://x.com/DMRussini/status/1932125803518816431" rel="noopener">show up to the team’s mandatory minicamp</a> tomorrow, sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.</p><p>Cousins did not attend Atlanta’s voluntary OTAs towards the end of May. But he was present for offseason workouts back in April.</p><p>Cousins has made it clear that his preference is still to be traded to a different team where he could start.</p><p>Unfortunately for Cousins, there are not as many starting jobs up in the air as there were earlier this spring. Cousins’ best hope would be for the Steelers to make a strong offer for him. But those hopes died when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/kirk-cousins-trade-talks-in-cold-water-after-aaron-rodgers-deal">Aaron Rodgers officially signed with the Steelers</a> last week.</p><p>One Falcons insider recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-falcons-insider-picks-browns-kirk-cousins-trade-idea-over-steelers">suggested the Browns as a potential trade partner</a>.</p><p>The Browns already have a full quarterback room, but they could become desperate enough to add a sure thing like Cousins later this summer.</p><h2><b>Falcons accused of being “stubborn” on Kirk Cousins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Kirk Cousins situation is turning into a headache for the Falcons.</p><p>ESPN’s Dan Graziano <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-atlanta-accused-being-stubborn-kirk-cousins">accused the Falcons of being “stubborn”</a> with how they’re dealing with Cousins this offseason.</p><p>Graziano explained why he thinks the team has been hesitant to make a move.</p><p>“Stubbornness likely had something to do with it,” Graziano reported. “They signed Cousins for $100 million in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn’t thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024.”</p><p>The Falcons seem to want to squeeze every ounce of production out of Cousins, especially since they’ve agreed to pay him so much.</p><p>Atlanta may be willing to trade Cousins if another team pays a big chunk of his remaining guaranteed money. But that is a hard sell for any NFL team.</p><p>“And when it came time to talk trade, the Falcons were asking interested teams to pay a significant portion of that remaining $37.5 million in guaranteed money. That meant those teams weren’t offering the Falcons a return that Atlanta deemed worthwhile,” Graziano added.</p><p>At this point, the most likely outcome seems to be Cousins staying in Atlanta in 2025 as the backup for Michael Penix Jr.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kirk Cousins expected to attend Falcons minicamp amid trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/kirk-cousins-trade-talks-in-cold-water-after-aaron-rodgers-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kirk Cousins trade talks get doused in cold water after Aaron Rodgers signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Atlanta-Falcons-quarterback-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kirk Cousins trade talks get doused in cold water after Aaron Rodgers signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-06T13:57:04-07:00">June 6th, 1:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-06T13:57:04-07:00">June 6th, 1:57pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins have been the two biggest quarterbacks on the market this offseason in terms of name recognition. They might not be the most talented but have generated the most buzz.</p><p>Rodgers was the first big domino that had to fall, and it did <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-news-aaron-rodgers-pittsburgh-finally-agree-contract">with him signing a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers</a>. So now, all eyes shift to what happens with Cousins.</p><p>It’s more challenging to move on from Cousins because he would have to be part of a trade, and with the Atlanta Falcons giving him a big contract, it becomes even more difficult to move him.</p><p>NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero was on The Rich Eisen Show and pointed out the obvious: With the Rodgers move made, <a href="https://x.com/RichEisenShow/status/1931038938401055074">where would Cousins go</a>? As of right now, nothing seems imminent, especially with the Falcons openly saying how much they want a trade and have been defiant about the idea of releasing him, so this could drag on potentially into training camp.</p><p>“At this point, there’s not a clear place for Kirk Cousins to go,” said Pelissero. “The Falcons have made it abundantly clear that they are not releasing him. If they had been going to do that, they would have done it back in March. It didn’t happen.”</p><p>“That is a storyline that probably now is not going to be resolved, I wouldn’t think, before training camp,” explained Pelissero. “But the moment that somebody hits their thumb on a helmet, the moment that somebody pulls up lame with a hamstring, the moment that anything happens to any quarterback, the first question is going to be: is this the team that trades for Kirk Cousins?”</p><p>It comes down to the fact that the Falcons want something in return for Cousins. They signed him to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-atlanta-steals-kirk-cousins-away-from-vikings-4-year-contract">massive four-year contract for $180 million with $100 million guaranteed</a>. With an enormous contract, it makes sense, and it would also make sense if they at least tried to get other teams to take on a portion of the money.</p><p>The desperation around the league is not there for teams to make a move. Still, as Pelissero mentioned, the moment a quarterback sustains an injury in any capacity, the Cousins buzz will come immediately.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kirk Cousins trade talks get doused in cold water after Aaron Rodgers signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-falcons-insider-picks-browns-kirk-cousins-trade-idea-over-steelers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Falcons insider picks Browns Kirk Cousins trade idea over Steelers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins-on-Dec.-22-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Falcons insider picks Browns Kirk Cousins trade idea over Steelers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T09:12:02-07:00">June 4th, 9:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T09:12:02-07:00">June 4th, 9:12am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-atlanta-accused-being-stubborn-kirk-cousins">Atlanta Falcons reported to be stubborn when it comes to Kirk Cousins</a> and not wanting to trade him, the speculation is still out there about a possible deal. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-rumors-insider-floats-kirk-cousins-as-potential-plan-b-in-aaron-rodgers-saga">Cousins was rumored to be a “Plan B” for the Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, a Falcons insider would much rather see a fit with the Browns in this mock trade idea.</p><p>ESPN’s Atlanta reporter, Marc Raimondi, had to pick between a couple of trades by such teams as the Browns, Steelers, and the Minnesota Vikings. Raimondi would pick the trade with Cleveland as also being the team that <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45343975/2025-nfl-season-trade-offers-best-fits-trey-hendrickson-kirk-cousins-jalen-ramsey" rel="noopener">“made the most sense”</a> for Cousins since they need another veteran, but also the Falcons get back Kenny Pickett, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and cash considerations.</p><p>“This destination always made the most sense for Cousins, who has a long history with Browns coach Kevin Stefanski from their time together in Minnesota,” Raimondi wrote as the Browns also get a 2026 seventh-round pick in the hypothetical. “After going through OTAs and minicamp, the Browns might realize they need another veteran to compete for the starting job.”</p><p>“Cleveland currently has Joe Flacco, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and Pickett competing for the QB1 spot with Deshaun Watson out (Achilles),” Raimondi continued. “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.”</p><h2><b>Hypothetical Browns offer for Kirk Cousins is better than the Steelers </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins-on-Dec.-16-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the situation <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-atlantas-kirk-cousins-plan-gets-clarity-from-insider">between Cousins and the Falcons looks to get more clarity</a>, there does seem to be interest out there for the veteran quarterback. Looking at the hypothetical, Raimondi would ultimately believe the Browns trade is better than the Steelers’ one, which included Atlanta getting “2026 sixth-round draft pick (can become a fifth-rounder with performance conditions).”</p><p>“Solak’s offer with the Steelers would be a great scheme fit for the signal-caller, but the Browns’ offer works in more ways,” Raimondi wrote. “For the Falcons, they get Pickett, who showed with the Eagles last season that he could be a serviceable backup. Most importantly for Atlanta, it would be relieved of $10 million of Cousins’ 2025 guaranteed money. Meanwhile, he would be reunited with Stefanski and likely start in Cleveland over the rest of its QB options. A win for all.”</p><p>At any rate, there’s no doubt that Cousins would like to start for a team as he would have the opportunity this upcoming season with the Browns and the Steelers, barring any Aaron Rodgers development.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Falcons insider picks Browns Kirk Cousins trade idea over Steelers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-falcons-insider-shuts-down-vikings-trade-ideas-for-kirk-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Falcons insider shuts down Vikings trade ideas for Kirk Cousins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Falcons insider shuts down Vikings trade ideas for Kirk Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T08:51:31-07:00">June 4th, 8:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T08:51:31-07:00">June 4th, 8:51am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-rumors-what-makes-kirk-cousins-trade-difficult">Falcons and Kirk Cousins fiasco has continued</a>, and it won’t stop until the quarterback is traded. Cousins has let the Falcons know that he desires to be a starting quarterback, but they know they’d be eating up a lot of money if they trade him. That has led the team to stay pat and go into the upcoming season content about Cousins being the backup to Michael Penix Jr.</p><p>At the same time, there is a price that the Falcons could work with if they wanted to trade Cousins, and the other team would have to make an enticing offer. There are already not many teams that need a starting quarterback besides the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s going to be hard for Cousins to get traded at this point.</p><p>The Minnesota Vikings were a team mentioned who could possibly trade for Cousins, and ESPN came up with two trade scenarios that would work for both teams. Though they looked enticing, Cousins probably <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45343975/2025-nfl-season-trade-offers-best-fits-trey-hendrickson-kirk-cousins-jalen-ramsey" rel="noopener">wouldn’t like the idea</a> of going back to the Vikings.</p><p>“All of these are compelling for the Falcons,” Marc Raimondi wrote. “But for Cousins, both offers from the Vikings are dead on arrival. He wants to start, and he more than likely won’t do that in Minnesota. Even if he loved living there, this would be basically the same situation as Atlanta (being behind McCarthy instead of Penix). Using his no-trade clause, Cousins would likely nix the Vikings.”</p><p>Cousins already doesn’t have many choices, so at this point, he might as well just stay with the Falcons for the time being.</p><h2><b>What will the Falcons do with Kirk Cousins?</b></h2><p>Cousins has not shown up to voluntary OTAs for the Falcons, and it shouldn’t be a surprise after this long saga that he and the team have been on. Things have not been the same since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-defiant-take-future-benching">Cousins was benched for Penix</a> in Week 16 last season, and the Falcons let it be known that he would be the starting quarterback as time continues.</p><p>The Falcons had just signed Cousins to a four-year deal last offseason, and the expectation was that he would at least be the starter for the first two years of his deal, which are guaranteed. Unfortunately, he didn’t even make it as the starter in his first full season with the team, and it’s obvious he believes he still has the talent to do so for a team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Falcons insider shuts down Vikings trade ideas for Kirk Cousins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-rumors-ryan-clark-savage-allen-iverson-mic-drop-kirk-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steelers rumors: Ryan Clark’s savage Allen Iverson mic drop on Kirk Cousins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Atlanta-Falcons-quarterback-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Steelers rumors: Ryan Clark’s savage Allen Iverson mic drop on Kirk Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-27T15:42:52-07:00">May 27th, 3:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-27T15:42:52-07:00">May 27th, 3:42pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Steelers rumors continue to swirl that the franchise is all-in on potentially signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, there is still a chance that it doesn’t happen, especially considering he has yet to announce his final decision. All signs point to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-rumors-insider-floats-kirk-cousins-as-potential-plan-b-in-aaron-rodgers-saga">Kirk Cousins being the second option</a>, however, ESPN’s Ryan Clark dumps cold water all over that idea with a savage Allen Iverson quote.</p><p>During an appearance on “NFL on ESPN,” Clark responded to the trade speculation around the Steelers and Cousins. He’s not a fan of the idea whatsoever and claims that acquiring Cousins wouldn’t change anything in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room. Ultimately, he doesn’t believe the 36-year-old quarterback is <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNFL/status/1927459977259606202" rel="noopener">the answer at quarterback</a>, which just so happens to be Iverson’s nickname.</p><p>“The last time I checked, Allen Iverson was the answer because it sure ain’t Kirk Cousins.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The last time I checked, Allen Iverson was the answer because it sure ain't Kirk Cousins." 😯</p><p>—<a href="https://twitter.com/Realrclark25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Realrclark25</a> on Kirk Cousins not being the answer at QB for the Steelers <a href="https://t.co/3KaAlkc9cv">pic.twitter.com/3KaAlkc9cv</a></p><p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1927459977259606202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason to be the team’s starting quarterback. However, the organization turned around and used the No. 8 pick overall of the 2024 NFL Draft on Michael Penix Jr.</p><p>The four-time Pro Bowler failed to finish the season as the starter, as Atlanta pulled him out of the fourth quarter of the 38-6 Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos. Penix started each contest for the Falcons for the remainder of the season and is the starter moving forward in Atlanta.</p><p>Kirk Cousins ended the 2024-25 campaign with 3,508 passing yards and 18 touchdowns through the air while recording a 66.9% completion percentage. But his 16 interceptions on the season were too much for the Falcons to handle any longer. Since the offseason began, Cousins has been viewed as a potential trade target for the Steelers.</p><p>While Ryan Clark may have his doubts, it’s hard to doubt Pittsburgh’s decisions due to head coach Mike Tomlin never having a losing season throughout his tenure. There’s a possibility that Cousins finds new life <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-news-ryan-clark-steelers-downfall-amid-aaron-rodgers-chase">with the Steelers organization</a> and serves as a decent option under center. Even if that is the case, the franchise still doesn’t have a long-term option at quarterback.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
3508	18	16	-

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
3508	18	16	-

Kirk Cousins news

Kirk
Cousins news