Falcons Place Franchise Tag On TE Kyle Pitts
FEBRUARY 24: The Falcons have officially applied the tag to Pitts, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
FEBRUARY 23: Kyle Pitts is set to spend a sixth season in Atlanta. The veteran tight end is in position to receive the franchise tag, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Pitts will not reach the market based on today’s news. Instead of testing free agency for the first time in his career, Pitts will remain with the Falcons for 2026. The tight end tag is projected to cost $16.32MM, and the team will carry that cost on its cap sheet unless a long-term deal is worked out.
[RELATED: NFL Franchise Tag Recipients Since 2010]
The possibility of the franchise tag has steadily increased in this case, with Pitts enjoying a strong 2025 season and boosting his market value along the way. The former No. 4 pick set a new career high in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) this past year, bouncing back from a highly underwhelming 2022-24 stretch. Pitts has expressed interest in playing in new head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s offense, and he will be able to do so for at least one year. Many around the NFL expected a tag in this instance, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms.
As a rookie, Pitts earned a Pro Bowl nod and topped 1,000 yards. The Florida alum was unable to match expectations beyond that point until his 2025 bounce-back campaign. Questions about inconsistency have been raised, and it will be interesting to see if a long-term commitment winds up being made by Atlanta. New president of football operations Matt Ryan was once Pitts’ teammate, putting him and the Falcons’ revamped group of decision-makers in an interesting position.
Atlanta is currently slated to have roughly $26.5MM in cap space, with a number of other priorities on offense to be sorted out this spring. A Kirk Cousins release is among them, while wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson are each eligible for extensions. Keeping those two in the fold well beyond 2026 will be costly, especially if a multi-year commitment winds up being made to Pitts. At the age of 25, the second-team All-Pro could command a lucrative pact from Atlanta this year or outside suitors in 2027 in the event he reaches free agency.
Stefanski’s ability to improve an offense which ranked just 19th in scoring in 2025 will be key. Pitts figures to play a large role in that effort regardless of whether or not he agrees to a new Falcons pact over the coming months. July 15 represents the deadline for franchise-tagged players to work out a long-term pact with their respective teams.
OC Brad Idzik To Call Panthers’ Plays In 2026; Latest On QB Bryce Young
Dave Canales‘ work as the Buccaneers’ offensive play-caller in 2023 provided a springboard to a head coaching opportunity. The Panthers hired Canales after only one season of OC experience, and he has called plays throughout his Carolina tenure.
That will change in 2026. In a rather interesting development, the third-year HC confirmed OC Brad Idzik would serve as Carolina’s 2026 play-caller. This will be the first such assignment for the 34-year-old coordinator, who came to Charlotte along with Canales in 2024.
Idzik joins Canales in being an ex-Pete Carroll Seahawks staffer. He worked as a quality control assistant and assistant wide receivers coach (under Canales, the team’s WRs coach for much of his tenure) in Seattle. After Canales landed the Bucs’ OC gig, Idzik became Tampa Bay’s receivers coach. Following two years in a non-play-calling role, Idzik will receive a promotion of sorts.
Unlike HC carousel mainstay Ejiro Evero, no interviews have come Idzik’s way since he arrived in Charlotte. The Panthers are also coming off an inconsistent year on offense, ranking 27th in scoring.
This is an interesting decision from Canales, and it certainly suggests confidence he will be the coach beyond 2026. David Tepper has been known as a rather impulsive owner; he fired Matt Rhule less than 2 1/2 years into a seven-year contract and canned Frank Reich after 11 games. Tepper headlines have died down since the Reich ouster, but Canales taking his hands off the wheel after a playoff season is a bit unexpected.
The son of former Jets GM John Idzik, Brad Idzik will have more say in Bryce Young‘s development in 2026. The Panthers are expected to pick up Young’s fifth-year option, buying them time. Like the Texans and C.J. Stroud, though, an extension does not appear forthcoming this offseason.
Carolina is not expected to offer Young an extension before the ’26 season, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes. This is not especially surprising given the diminutive quarterback’s struggles through three seasons. Canales played a central role in elevating the former Heisman winner into a capable starter, after the Panthers benched the Tepper-driven QB draftee two games into his second season. After trade offers emerged, an Andy Dalton car accident led to Young being given another chance. He has kept the job since.
Young ranked 22nd in QBR last season, though it took him 16 games to clear 3,000 passing yards. Averaging 6.3 yards per attempt, Young finished with 3,011 yards and a 23-11 TD-INT ratio. That still represents considerable progress after a concerning rookie season. The Panthers devoted two first-round picks (Xavier Legette, Tetairoa McMillan) to staffing Young’s receiving corps, seeing McMillan win Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim. More development will be necessary for the Panthers to complete an extension.
No extension will keep Young tied to a $1.15MM base salary in 2026, though his cap number checks in at $12.1MM. The Panthers picked up Sam Darnold‘s fifth-year option and gave Teddy Bridgewater a three-year, $63MM contract. But they have not extended a starting QB since paying Cam Newton ahead of his 2015 MVP season. That re-up came in Newton’s fifth NFL offseason. Newton had proven far more than Young on his rookie deal. This Tepper-Canales-Dan Morgan regime is expected to see how Young’s stock looks in his fifth offseason before committing long term.
Raiders GM John Spytek Expects To Retain Maxx Crosby
Maxx Crosby has regularly received public endorsements from the Raiders when his future has been discussed. That is still the case as the latest round of trade speculation continues.
General manager John Spytek has remained consistent in his public messaging on the Crosby front. That continued today when he was speaking to reporters at the Combine. Spytek was asked if he expects to retain the star edge rusher and he delivered an expected response.
“I do,” he said (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden). “Maxx is an elite player, and I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them.”
Spytek did add that he is “always listening” when it comes to trade offers, and that applies to Crosby as well. Recent reporting has indicated it will take a monster offer to pry Crosby out of Las Vegas.
We’ve now heard multiple reports of a Micah Parsons-like haul being required for such a move, with the most recent offering indicating a bidding war could bump the asking price to two first-rounders. Parsons fetched two firsts and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, though the former Cowboys dynamo was going into an age-26 season at the time of that trade. Crosby will turn 29 this summer.
One wrinkle here would stand to help the Raiders set such a high asking price. Unlike Parsons or Khalil Mack (in 2018), Crosby is not positioned to need a new contract. The Raiders extended their top player on a $35.5MM-per-year deal that runs through the 2029 season. That makes this a rare situation, as most blockbuster pass rusher trades have come when a player is unable to reach a contract agreement with the trading team.
It would behoove the Raiders to listen on Crosby, as their roster has plenty of needs. Fernando Mendoza is expected to fill one of them at No. 1 overall, but Las Vegas finished 3-14 — with win No. 3 coming over a noncommitted Chiefs team. A trade would bring back at least a first-rounder and a Day 2 pick, perhaps more, to give Vegas an opportunity to add low-cost draftees to what is expected to be a Mendoza-centered roster soon. The team could certainly hang onto Crosby for his age-29 slate; or, like Parsons, the Silver and Black could delay a swap until the summer — with 2027 draft choices being the prize.
This storyline came about because Crosby voiced frustration about his injury-driven shutdown last season. The star edge rusher is believed to have spoken to the Raiders about wanting to be moved, even though no official trade request has emerged. The Raiders could force Crosby’s hand by refusing to trade him, putting pressure on the player to incur fines for missing training camp and/or miss game checks. But the team also may want to do right by its top 2020s performer.
We are in the first of the NFL’s 2026 trade windows, and plenty of teams will be eyeing the decorated EDGE. With the Combine serving as a gateway to trade and free agency prices, the Raiders will have a big decision to make soon.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Nick Sirianni: No Guarantee A.J. Brown Remains With Eagles
Trade talks involving A.J. Brown were expected to take place this offseason, and the Combine represents prime dealing ground. While the Eagles may not be shopping the accomplished wide receiver, this rocky partnership could be tested in Indianapolis.
Brown gripes about his role have been commonplace, and the Eagles’ 2025 season-ender brought a short sideline confrontation with Nick Sirianni. Although Brown has reeled off four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, his Eagles tenure is uncertain to reach Year 5. Considering the contract component, the Eagles would need a big trade haul to move on.
Sirianni confirmed both he and Brown want this partnership to continue, but the sixth-year Eagles HC stopped short of guaranteeing he would be back.
“As Howie [Roseman] said, it’s hard to get good players in this league. A.J.’s a great player, and A.J. is a good teammate, and A.J. is a good person,” Sirianni said, via ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. “Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes.
“Will A.J. be here next season? I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season.”
That certainly qualifies as coach-speak, but the Eagles may field some viable offers for a player who has grumbled about his place in an offense that just changed coordinators yet again. Sean Mannion replaced Kevin Patullo and will call plays in 2026. It would be unlikely Mannion would voice a strong objection to rostering Brown, but the former Titans draftee has voiced frustration about his role under Patullo and Kellen Moore.
Missing two games last season (only one due to injury), Brown saw his yards-per-game figure drop to 66.9. That marked a Philly-years-low figure. The Eagles have both he and DeVonta Smith on extensions, the latter a now-team-friendly three-year, $75MM deal. The team paid Brown a second time in 2024, giving him a then-receiver-record $32MM-per-year extension. That contract runs through 2029. As this is the Eagles, option bonuses comprise a sizable chunk of the contract. Moving on would be difficult from a dead money perspective.
Philly would absorb a receiver-record $43.45MM in dead money by moving Brown, who would generate no cap savings in a trade before June 1. If the Eagles held onto Brown and moved him after that date, a la the Falcons’ 2021 Julio Jones trade or last year’s Dolphins-Steelers Jalen Ramsey swap, they would save more than $7MM. That may be the only way out for Brown this offseason.
“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said. “If someone is going to give you something you didn’t anticipate and you won’t even have the conversation, I don’t think you’re necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you’re with. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there.
“Without getting into specifics on any player, we’re always listening and we’re always kind of open. There’s very few things that I would shoot down without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?”
Brown, 29 in June, prompted trade offers before last year’s deadline. The Eagles listened, though they informed teams the high-maintenance wideout was unlikely to be moved. A subsequent Brown-Jeffery Lurie meeting led to the receiver promising he would not air grievances through social media.
The Eagles discussed Dallas Goedert in trades last year but eventually reached a solution (via pay cut). No pay-cut move is coming here, but the team is far from certain to trade such an important piece of its offense in a Super Bowl window. Given the Brown contract’s structure, it is possible this saga will linger into the summer. But the Combine will give the Eagles an early window to hear what could be out there for their star pass catcher. A Brown trade later this year would certainly give Philly a major need, as a trade to acquire a replacement may be needed down the line.
Vikings Discussing Javon Hargrave Trade
The Combine serves a function for veteran players as well, with trade talks regularly commencing at the annual scouting event. One of the pieces available this year comes out of Minnesota.
The Vikings are shopping Javon Hargrave, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets, indicating the NFC North team has engaged in trade talks with the experienced defensive tackle. Minnesota signed Hargrave to a three-year, $30MM deal following his 2025 49ers release. That contract includes a partial guarantee for 2026.
Hargrave, who turned 33 earlier this month, is due $4MM guaranteed on his $14.2MM base salary. If the Vikings are unable to trade the 11th-year defender, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis notes lists him as an obvious cut candidate. If the Vikings release Hargrave, they will save nearly $11MM but will take on $10.5MM in dead money. A trade would create nearly $15MM in cap space, though the Vikes may need to pay down some of the D-tackle’s salary to facilitate a trade.
After stops with the Steelers, Eagles and 49ers, Hargrave started 15 games for the Vikings last season. Minnesota added proven vets on its D-line, also signing Jonathan Allen after his Commanders release. Hargrave, who missed 14 games in 2024, registered 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble last season. Pro Football Focus graded Hargrave fairly well, slotting him 36th overall among interior D-linemen.
It appears the Vikings are hoping that healthy Hargrave season will boost his trade value and allow for cap savings to emerge without a release. No guarantee trigger dates are in place for Hargrave this offseason; the rest of his 2026 salary will not lock until just before Week 1, giving the Vikings some time.
They would obviously need to move on soon if they want to use any savings toward free agency. A post-June 1 designation would divide Hargrave’s dead cap hit over two years, but the Vikes could not use those savings until June. Minnesota is projected to land $43MM-plus over the 2026 salary cap, giving the team considerable work to reach cap compliance by the start of the league year (March 11).
Minnesota has been active on its D-line over the past year, adding Allen and Hargrave and trading Harrison Phillips. The team received promising work from UDFA Jalen Redmond, who can be retained via ERFA tender next month. Allen’s three-year, $51MM deal includes an $8MM guarantee for 2026, offering the former first-rounder better protection (though, PFF ranked Allen 84th among interior D-linemen last season) Minnesota has recent Day 3 draftees Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (2025 fifth round) and Levi Drake Rodriguez (2024 seventh) rostered at the position as well.
Texans Will Not Trade C.J. Stroud; Joe Mixon Undergoes Surgery
C.J. Stroud has not built on his 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year performance, and a miserable playoff showing restricted a dominant Texans defense. The quarterback is now extension-eligible, but a recent report pressed pause on that topic.
The Texans do not look to be planning a Stroud extension for 2026, but the team will exercise the former No. 2 overall pick’s fifth-year option. That will extend Stroud’s contract through 2027, buying the organization some time. While Year 5 QB extensions are not commonplace, that may be where this settles.
GM Nick Caserio said Tuesday no trade is coming, confirming (via ESPN.com’s DJ Bien-Aime) the fourth-year passer is “not going anywhere.” Stroud, 24, is on track to make $1.15MM in base salary on his fully guaranteed $36.28MM rookie contract.
Considering the Ohio State product’s rookie-year performance and the flashes shown over the ensuing two seasons, it would be surprising if the Texans truly considered moving on this year. The fifth-year option will create an opportunity for Stroud to boost his stock this season, which would allow him to set a price point closer to the top of the market in 2027.
Most successful QBs who go off the board in Round 1 are extended after their third seasons, but Lamar Jackson and Tua Tagovailoa have been outliers in recent years. Jackson played out his option season and was extended after being franchise-tagged in 2023. The Dolphins let Tagovailoa play out his fourth season and paid him before Year 5. That turned out to be the wrong move, and Miami is on track to eat record-smashing dead money. That example would point to Houston caution with Stroud, but given the mess the organization was in after the Deshaun Watson scandal, giving a promising but unspectacular passer another shot certainly makes sense.
The Texans paired Stroud and Joe Mixon in 2024 but needed to adjust at running back last season, when Mixon missed 17 games because of an unspecified injury. Mixon, 29, landed on the reserve/NFI list because of a “complicated” foot and ankle injury. The 2024 trade acquisition has undergone surgery, Caserio said (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson).
The former Bengals regular may not play again. If/when the Texans release Mixon from his two-year, $19.75MM extension, it would free up $8MM in cap space. Nick Chubb played out his one-year Houston contract, but Woody Marks (703 rookie-year rushing yards) has three years left on his rookie deal. The Texans will likely add another RB to complement Marks or push him for the starting job soon.
Tua Tagovailoa Has Not Requested Trade
As it stands, the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa chapter is nearing an end. Most likely, that conclusion will come via release. No trade market is believed to exist for the slumping passer, and the Dolphins have been closely linked to Malik Willis.
A Tagovailoa release would tag the Dolphins with a record-setting $99.2MM. While that could be spread over two years via a post-June 1 designation, it would make reuniting Willis and new HC Jeff Hafley difficult. Tagovailoa has spoken highly of a fresh start, but new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the six-year veteran has not requested a trade.
“We’re evaluating the entire roster,” Sullivan said at the Combine. “As it pertains to Tua, we’ve had conversations with Tua and his representation. Everything is on the table, including the potential of a trade. We don’t know which way that’s going to go. There’s a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had.”
These comments remind of Sullivan’s most recent remarks from a Dolphins fan event, where the former Packers exec mentioned he had spoken to Tagovailoa about his future. It would surprise if Miami found a trade taker. In the event one does form, the Dolphins would need to eat plenty of the southpaw QB’s $54MM 2026 guarantee.
With Zach Wilson a free agent, the Dolphins have Quinn Ewers — their end-of-season starter following Tua’s benching — as a possible starter. Sullivan reiterated he plans to infuse his new QB room with competition. That would point to a free agency addition and a draft choice coming in. This is not viewed as a deep quarterback class on either front, potentially pointing to Ewers — a 2025 seventh-round pick — having a legitimate shot to start in the event Miami cannot lure Willis.
As PFR’s Dolphins Offseason Outlook notes, Miami will need to act by March 13. Another $18MM guarantee — via a $15MM option bonus and $3MM 2027 salary guarantee — will vest for the embattled QB on that date. It would be stunning if Tua remained a Dolphin after that date. It is widely expected this process will remind of the Broncos’ 2024 Russell Wilson ending, when the AFC West team cut the disappointing arm to bring a record-shattering $84.6MM in dead money. The Dolphins are on the verge of eclipsing that number by a wide margin, barring something unforeseen.
Patriots Unlikely To Retain Harold Landry?
FEBRUARY 24: When speaking to reporters at the Combine on Tuesday, executive vice president Eliot Wolf said (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) he expects Landry to remain in place for next season. Things could change between now and the start of free agency, but it appears as though a second New England campaign is in store.
FEBRUARY 19: Harold Landry paced the Patriots with 8.5 sacks this past season, but the linebacker’s stay in New England may only last one year. When asked about the status of the veteran defender, Christopher Price of the Boston Globe opined that the player wouldn’t be back with the Patriots in 2026 (via Patriots on CLNS).
Price points to the player’s age and injuries as a reason for why the Patriots may look to move on. The 29-year-old suffered a knee injury back in Week 6, didn’t miss a game, and then reinjured the same knee in Week 12. The Patriots didn’t push the veteran in practices, and they later held him out of the team’s final two regular season games.
Landry returned for New England’s playoff opener but saw a drop in reps, as his 43.3 percent snap share represented a season low. That number dropped to 14.7 percent (11 snaps) in the second round before Landry was ruled out for the AFC Championship. He returned for the Super Bowl but was once again limited, appearing in only 14 defensive snaps.
As Price notes, the Patriots will likely be seeking some youth and consistency on the edge, putting Landry’s roster status in doubt. Working in the player’s favor is his relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel. Landry was one of the coach’s most dependable defenders when the two were in Tennessee, and Vrabel was quick to recruit the linebacker to New England via a three-year, $43.5MM deal.
Landry has still shown an ability to get after the QB in recent years. After missing the 2022 campaign due to a torn ACL, he averaged more than nine sacks per season between 2023 and 2025. The player’s contract makes it seem like he’s all but locked into a spot on the 2026 roster; the Patriots would clear just over $1MM in savings while being left with $15MM in dead cap (via a post-June 1 designation). The more likely path sees the Patriots rework the contract to keep Landry around on a more affordable pact, although if the organization believes he may not be able to recover from his knee issues, perhaps Price’s prediction may come to fruition.
While the Patriots front office will evaluate players who remain under contract, they’ll also have to consider their grouping of impending free agents. Two of the team’s key free agents come on the defensive side of the ball, as both pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins are set to hit the open market.
A former first-round pick, Chaisson was brought to New England last offseason via a one-year deal. He ended up having one of the most productive seasons of his career, finishing with 7.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, and 10 tackles for loss. He’s destined to cash in on his performance this offseason, but considering New England’s lack of depth on the edge, there’s a chance his next contract comes from the Patriots.
Hawkins spent the past two seasons in New England, but the team’s new leadership was willing to give him a larger role than the former regime. Hawkins ended up leaping both Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers on the depth chart en route to a career season. The 28-year-old started all 15 of his appearances, finishing with 71 tackles, six passes defended, and 1.5 sacks.
While both players are eyeing raises, they may have interest in working out some kind of arrangement with the franchise. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, both players have expressed interest in re-signing with the Patriots. Hawkins told reporters that he wants to “remain here for sure,” while Chaisson acknowledged the organization’s role in reviving his career.
Zach Ertz Plans To Play In 2026; TE Could Be Cleared By Week 1
Zach Ertz is on the list of the Commanders’ pending free agents. He may remain unsigned for a notable period, but the veteran tight end intends to continue playing in 2026. 
Ertz does not plan on retiring this year, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That confirms a recent update on the matter, ensuring a 14th NFL season is in store. The 35-year-old has been in Washington since 2024.
Over the course of his two Commanders seasons, Ertz has operated as a full-time starter. The three-time Pro Bowler was a key factor in Washington’s offense during Jayden Daniels‘ rookie campaign, notching seven touchdowns on 66 catches. Last year, an ACL tear suffered in early December brought things to an immediate and unwanted halt. Ertz’s market will of course be greatly impacted by the status of his recovery.
On that note, Pelissero adds Ertz is expected to receive full medical clearance around Week 1 of next season. If that timeline holds, interested teams may be willing to move quicker with respect to a free agent deal than if a lengthy spell on the sidelines was expected during the 2026 campaign. Given his age, Ertz should not be expected to land a long-term pact from the Commanders or any other team. Still, he could be viewed as a low-cost veteran addition for any number of suitors.
Washington selected Ben Sinnott in the second round of the 2024 draft. He has managed only 16 catches to date in the regular season, but an uptick in usage could be coming if Ertz departs. Washington could also be in the market for another experienced tight end to pair with Sinnott while looking to rebound from last year’s underwhelming showing.
Ertz ranks fifth all time in receptions among NFL tight ends. His 8,592 yards are No. 8, but a move up the order could be in store provided he manages to play a full season upon returning to full health. It appears as though that will be possible given where his recovery stands, so it will be interesting to see how his market looks in the spring.
Ian Cunningham: Falcons Will Release QB Kirk Cousins
The Falcons’ recent restructure of Kirk Cousins‘ contract added further to the widespread expectation a release would be coming. New general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed as much on Tuesday. 
While appearing on 92.9 The Game, Cunningham said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic) Cousins will be released on the first day of the new league year. That means the Pro Bowl quarterback’s Atlanta tenure will come to an end on March 11. Cousins was set to see his 2027 salary (inflated to $67.9MM) vest in full on March 13, but to no surprise that will not be the case. This pending post-June 1 release will generate only $2.1MM in cap savings while creating $22.5MM in dead money charges (which can be spread across two years).
Cousins is therefore on track to reach free agency just before agreements with suitors can be finalized. The 37-year-old wishes to continue his career, and it will be interesting to see how his market takes shape in the near future. Especially if Daniel Jones remains in place with the Colts, free agency will not offer much in the way of starting-caliber veterans at the QB position. Cunningham later said (h/t Kendall) the Falcons will not be re-signing Cousins at a reduced rate, something which would have given them insurance while Michael Penix Jr. recovers.
Penix has yet to receive a full endorsement from Atlanta’s new regime – including Cunningham, president of football operations Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski – and his Week 1 availability is uncertain at this time. Penix has endured up-and-down showings while atop the depth chart early in his NFL career, and the former first-rounder has a long injury history dating back to his days in college. Once Cousins is off the books, a new deal in his case will be needed or Atlanta will be in the market for an experienced addition through free agency or trade.
For Cousins, meanwhile, a return to Minnesota will increasingly be something to watch for over the coming weeks. The possibility of a Vikings reunion has picked up steam in league circles recently, and it would of course fit on a number of levels. J.J. McCarthy has missed considerable time during his first two years in the NFL, and his level of play when on the field has left plenty to be desired. That has left Minnesota in the market for QB1 competition, and Cousins would be a familiar face for head coach Kevin O’Connell and Co. after playing with the Vikings from 2018-23.
The lack of a long-term commitment on the part of Minnesota helped lead Cousins to head elsewhere in free agency. His four-year, $160MM Falcons pact seemed to put him on track for multiple years atop the depth chart, but it was quickly followed by the Penix selection. Since then, speculation has lingered about when a parting of ways would take place and leave Penix in place as the clear-cut QB1 (or a passer set to compete with a new arrival for the starting gig). That time will soon arrive.