Browns Trading for Disgruntled QB Just Got More Complicated
By Jovan Alford
The Cleveland Browns will likely be in the market for a new starting quarterback after Deshaun Watson suffered a setback in this rehab from a torn Achilles.
The veteran quarterback has sustained season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons, forcing the Browns to play musical chairs under center. Last season, Joe Flacco, P.J Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Jeff Driskel took snaps for the Browns.
This season, Cleveland gave snaps to Jameis Winston, Zappe, and Thompson-Robinson. The Browns couldn’t recapture the magic that they had in 2023 this season.
Therefore, they must consider taking a QB in the 2025 NFL Draft or finding a veteran in free agency. As for a veteran option, Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins could be a solid stop-gap for Cleveland in 2025.
Cousins has seemingly lost his starting spot in Atlanta after being benched late in the season for rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 36-year-old is only in the first year of a huge four-year, $180 million deal he signed this past offseason with the Falcons.
The Falcons could release Cousins before the new league year (Mar. 12) but would be on the hook for $65 million in dead money. However, if Atlanta gives the veteran QB a post-June 1 designation, the dead money would be $40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026.
With that in mind, the Falcons aren’t looking to move the veteran quarterback, which could throw a wrench into the Browns and other QB-needy teams’ plans.
Falcons GM Terry Fontenot told reporters on Thursday, “We’re comfortable moving forward with him (Cousins) as a backup, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. It doesn’t come as a surprise to see the Falcons GM taking this approach, but it makes no sense to keep Cousins as backup.
Fontenot on Cousins: We're comfortable moving forward with him as a backup. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) January 9, 2025
Additionally, Fontenot was asked about a potential trade of Cousins and said the veteran QB would have to be okay with the trade.
Fontenot on a potential trade of Cousins: We'll take those things as they come. Everyone would have to be good with it, his camp. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) January 9, 2025
If you are Browns GM Andrew Berry, the best decision would be to wait and see if Cousins becomes a free agent before pursuing a trade. Cleveland would have a ton of money tied up into the QB spot with Cousins and Watson.
More Browns news and analysis:
feed