Kirk Cousins Plans Post-Draft Trade Waiver Decisions

Kirk Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is not rushing to waive his no-trade clause and plans to wait until after the 2025 NFL draft to make any decisions regarding a potential trade. This cautious approach stems from his experience last year when the Falcons unexpectedly drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr., leading to his benching. Cousins aims to avoid a similar situation and prefers to know which teams will be drafting quarterbacks before committing to a new destination. The Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams that might be interested in Cousins, but they may also seek a top quarterback in the draft. Given the Falcons' willingness to keep Cousins as a backup, they may need to negotiate taking on part of his salary to facilitate any trade. Cousins's strategy could benefit him by allowing him to leverage better offers from teams that still need a starter after the draft.