Atlanta Falcons

Free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Cousins is recovering from a torn Achilles that knocked him out of the 2023 season early, but it didn't affect his value on the open market. The four-time Pro Bowler joins a roster with several young rising weapons, including running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and receiver Drake London. He has passed for at least 4,000 yards in seven NFL seasons, so he should provide a nice value boost for his new supporting cast. The move means the Minnesota Vikings will be in search of a new starting quarterback, while the Falcons are likely to become the clear favorites in the weak NFC South.

According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, impending free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is expected to test the market when free agency opens on Monday. However, both Cousins and the Vikings will "remain in communication." The four-time Pro-Bowler has had an efficient career. In 150 regular season appearances, he's thrown for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns, and 110 interceptions. He's also completed nearly 70% of his tosses. While the 35-year-old has been one of the league's most durable signal-callers over the years, he was limited to just eight games last season because of a torn Achilles. That said, teams will take a chance by signing Cousins, considering he's coming off a devastating injury. His age also may make other organizations look in another direction. But Cousins, a quality fantasy quarterback since his days in Washington, should have at least a few more solid years left in the tank. With that in mind, his fantasy outlook will be contingent on where he's playing during the 2024-25 campaign, although he may be the most productive by staying in Minnesota.

According to very credible sources, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta so that he can play for the Falcons. Unless Cousins re-signs with the Vikings by next Wednesday, March 13, he'll become an unrestricted free agent. The Falcons have always been the top alternative to the Vikings for Cousins. His wife, Julie, grew up in nearby Alpharetta, Georgia, and her parents still live there. Minnesota wants to keep Cousins around, but only at their price, and they seem to think he won't get a better deal elsewhere. Cousins is now 35 years old and is coming off a torn Achilles last season, so it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank, but a move to Atlanta would give him a strong running game with Bijan Robinson and some interesting receiving targets in Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) has the Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons as his primary two options if he becomes a free agent next week, but Schefter also mentions the Washington Commanders as a possibility. Schefter also believes that the Commanders are open to anything with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of April's draft and could be open to moving back. If Cousins goes to Atlanta, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Vikings try to move up in the first round of the draft to select a rookie signal-caller. Cousins spent the first six years of his NFL career in D.C., so it would be a homecoming if he returned to the Commanders in 2024 and beyond. A move back to Washington would be intriguing from a fantasy perspective.

ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that the sense he's getting is that the Minnesota Vikings want impending quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) to return, but Cousins has a very specific idea in mind for what he wants in a new contract, and the Vikings so far have not made an offer that matches it. Cousins and his family like Minnesota and would be happy to stay and finish his career there, but it doesn't sound like he's willing to offer the team a hometown discount. If the Vikings don't sign him to an extension before the final four years of his contract void on March 12, they will carry a $28.5 million dead-money charge on their salary cap this year and Cousins will be on the open market for the second time in his career. If he reaches free agency, several teams are expected to be interested in the veteran signal-caller despite coming off a torn Achilles last year, including the Atlanta Falcons.