Kirk Cousins was at the Falcons' facility on Tuesday for the start of the team's voluntary offseason workout program, but his future in Atlanta is anything but certain.
Could this weekend's draft provide an impetus for a trade for the veteran quarterback? After all, teams won't just be wheeling and dealing picks over the next few days. We could see a notable player or two dealt, as well.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot was asked on Wednesday about the number of trade calls he's been a part of with the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft only one day away.
"That's important, particularly now with reference to Kirk," Fontenot said. "With any player, like we've always said, we're going to do what's best for this football team, whether that's a trade or whatever it is. So we're open to whatever it is if it's going to help the team. Those calls are really important, too, in terms of the trades. What you really want to get a feel for going into the draft knowing who's aggressive and who actually wants to come up, who's looking to move down. You want to get a feel for those. They don't really materialize until the actual draft because it depends on what's there. That's how those calls go."
That mirrors the stance the Falcons have issued throughout the offseason regarding Cousins. Atlanta seems content to let the process play out and potentially have him as a $27.5 million backup for second-year signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.
Fontenot added that reports of the Falcons asking teams to pay over $20 million of Cousins' 2025 salary in a potential deal are not accurate.
How the '25 quarterback class shakes out could certainly impact a market for Cousins. Perhaps the Browns become a suitor if they miss out on their preferred rookie QB. The Steelers -- currently the main team on Aaron Rodgers Watch -- only have two QBs on their roster and said this week that they'll add two more arms before training camp. Maybe Pittsburgh could emerge as an option.
"There's always in-draft trades. There's also after the draft. Depending on what happens, things really shift," Fontenot said. "So with Kirk or everybody else, I couldn't really anticipate that right now. It just depends, but that's a big part of it, communicating with teams and looking at where they are and how this draft is gonna affect their needs."
Here's what else we're monitoring on Wednesday ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET:
- Miami quarterback Cam Ward is the consensus to be the top overall pick on Thursday night. If Ward does, as expected, become the new Titans franchise signal-caller, he believes his transition to the NFL will be seamless. "I think I fit in good," Ward told reporters on Wednesday during the annual pre-draft Prospect Clinic. "A lot of concepts passing-wise transfer over from Miami when I got to meet with coach [Brian] Callahan for the first time. So I think it'll be plug and play."
- Where Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty ends up is one of the bigger first-round questions. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported earlier this week that the Jaguars' No. 5 spot could be a potential trade destination for an RB-needy team that wants to leap the Raiders at No. 6 overall for Jeanty. The Bears, currently holding the No. 10 pick, hosted Jeanty for a pre-draft visit, and he was asked Wednesday about the possibility of Chicago trading up for him. "I'd feel pretty good. I don't think that would be a bad decision by them," Jeanty said. The Heisman finalist would be a fan favorite in the Windy City, but not just for his running prowess. Asked for his thoughts on Green Bay, Jeanty told reporters: "Calm place. Not much to do here."
- Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons, a potential first-round pick on Thursday night, received some positive news surrounding his return from a ruptured patellar tendon that cut short his final college season. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that teams were impressed with Simmons' status during recent combine medical re-checks and he could be medically cleared before summer's training camp. NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Simmons as his fourth-best tackle prospect (No. 37 overall) in his latest big board, writing "what he put on tape this fall should generate plenty of optimism about his chances of becoming a quality starting left tackle in the NFL."
