Shockingly, NFL analysts still believe Kirk Cousins has trade value

Following an all-around dismal performance from the Falcons offense in which Kirk Cousins looked closer to being in a retirement home than he did an NFL quarterback, I really thought the speculation of a potential Cousins trade would be completely put to bed by the national media.

Instead, a lot of them are doubling down on their earlier takes, with many of them pointing to Joe Flacco as a perfect example of a veteran that looked like he was done in Cleveland and has quickly revitalized the Bengals.

“Weirdly — and this clashes with the opinions of many NFL coaches and talent evaluators — I’m going to say no,” Michael Silver of The Athletic said when asked if Cousins’ trade window has officially passed. “Granted, the Falcons’ offense was completely flaccid against the Dolphins, and Cousins looked nothing like the quarterback who was playing at a productive level for the 2023 Vikings. Yet, as a rebuttal, I’d offer two words: Joe Flacco. At 40, he looked completely cooked while playing for the Browns early in the season. Then he got traded to the Bengals and completely revived their offense, which had been brutal with Jake Browning running the show.”

There’s no debating that situations matter when it comes to quarterbacks, and the situation surrounding Kirk Cousins on Sunday was piss-poor. Zac Robinson has yet to prove he’s a competent play-caller at the NFL level, the Falcons couldn’t get anything going on the ground, and they were without their top receiving threat, Drake London.

Still, part of Atlanta’s inability to establish the run stemmed from the Dolphins having zero fear of what Cousins could do through the air. His passes lacked velocity, his mobility didn’t look improved despite being well removed from his Achilles injury in 2023, and it was clear the Falcons themselves didn’t trust him either.

Joe Flacco’s calling card since entering the league has always been his arm strength — he can still flat-out sling it, even at 40 years old. Cousins has never had that same advantage, and because of it, he appears to have aged much faster despite being three years younger than Flacco.

At this point, there’s no world where Kirk Cousins is an NFL-caliber quarterback. He doesn’t strike fear into even the weakest defenses, and the real indictment came in the way Atlanta called the game. The Falcons trailed from the opening drive yet seemed unwilling to push the ball downfield with Cousins. That game plan told you everything you need to know: Kirk Cousins is completely cooked.

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Photographer: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

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