The Atlanta Falcons have made a decision about Kirk Cousins, according to a report.
The Falcons are likely to keep Cousins as their backup going into training camp, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on Thursday. Rapoport says the Falcons received trade interest in Cousins around the start of free agency, but they did not deal him.
According to a report, the Falcons were looking for interested teams to take on a significant portion of Cousins’ salary for the upcoming season. Other teams balked at that asking price, which has led to Cousins remaining with Atlanta. Another factor is that Cousins has a no-trade clause, which means he can reject potential deals.
A different report this week named three teams that could trade for Cousins.
Cousins is entering the second year of a four-year, $180 million contract he signed with Atlanta a year ago. He threw 18 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions for the Falcons in 14 games last season before being benched.
The Falcons went 8-9 last season to miss the playoffs for the seventh straight year. They pulled a big surprise and drafted Michael Penix Jr. last season despite already having spent big money to sign Cousins in free agency. The starting job now belongs to Penix, which is why Cousins is a trade target for some teams.
