The Atlanta Falcons are 3-4, staring at a playoff shot just north of 12%. There’s not much wiggle room. And with the trade deadline approaching, Kirk Cousins is again popping up in the mix. Is a $37.5 million contract the Falcons’ golden ticket out, or just another extravagant seat warmer? 

Cousins, who was listed as the backup of Michael Penix Jr., stepped on the field as the starter against the Miami Dolphins. With Cousins under center, Atlanta limped to a 34-10 blowout at home. So, his big contract doesn’t give Raheem Morris many options.

If Atlanta can offload even a chunk of his guaranteed $27.5 million (plus $10 million for next season), a trade could happen. The catch is that Cousins has a no-trade clause. And reportedly wants to be traded only to a team where he can start.

At age 37, Cousins’ resume still shouts four Pro Bowls and seven campaigns crossing 4,000 passing yards. Still, the quarterback has been bouncing from one team to another this season. With Atlanta last season, he had a total of 16 interceptions (the highest in the league).

Rumors say a new destination could snap Cousins out of his snooze, but after Sunday’s performance, most suitors must have gone radio silent. But if Morris could land a trade for him, it would be a great way for the Falcons to hit reset without letting Cousins sit around burning a hole in their salary cap.

But the next question is: if Cousins packs his bags again, where will he land?

Could Kirk Cousins find a new start back in Minnesota?

Now here’s the twist. Minnesota just can’t quit thinking about Cousins. The Vikings’ quarterback merry-go-round has only sped up since Carson Wentz’s injury. Rookie JJ McCarthy is set to face the Detroit Lions in Week 9. Ted Nguyen from The Athletic puts it plainly.

“Cousins still can produce in the right environment, but I wouldn’t count on him working any miracles. If the Vikings’ offensive line gets healthy, I think Cousins could step in and outplay Wentz and McCarthy. There’s always room in the league for older quarterbacks who know an entire offense and can operate it competently,” Nguyen wrote. 

“Minnesota may be the only spot in which Cousins could work—he’s played at a high level in that system, throwing to Justin Jefferson—but the Vikings may be committed to seeing what they have in McCarthy. I don’t see another team that would trade for him,” Nguyen added.

So, should the Vikings buy back into Cousins nostalgia, or gamble on the unknown? And for all the posturing, one thing remains clear: wherever Cousins lands next, it’ll be somewhere he can be the starter. 

The NFL isn’t kind to aging quarterbacks, but if Minnesota’s offensive line can stay upright, the man who once lit up their scoreboard could walk back into a system ready to revive his career or flame out for good.