What’s more intriguing about Schefter’s report is the compensation the Falcons are asking for as part of any potential trade, which is “a lot.”
“Atlanta has asked for any acquiring team to pay $20 million of the $45 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins’ contract,” Schefter reported. “To date, no has been willing to do that, and no team is expected to be willing to. But what happens this weekend — and which franchises come out of the draft with or without rookie quarterbacks — could influence how much guaranteed money a team might be willing to absorb on Cousins’ contract.”
Schefter went on to say it could all be fluid, though. For example, If negotiations involve draft picks, either for this year or the future, the value of the picks gained could be tied to the amount of Cousins’ salary that team would assume.
“How much any team would be willing to pay also would influence the compensation it gives up,” Schefter wrote. “The higher the payment, the lower the draft compensation; the lower the payment, the higher the draft compensation.”
In his pre-draft press conference Wednesday morning, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot was asked about the report, and the specification of the organization asking for a team to pay $20 million towards the Cousins contract. Fontenot stated the calls they have fielded or made about Cousins has not involved a specific dollar amount.
“A report that says a specific number? That’s not accurate,” Fontenot said. “We haven’t said that.”
Fontenot confirmed Cousins reported to the team’s facility on Tuesday, for the start of the club’s voluntary offseason training program. This news comes on the heels of the Falcons signing quarterback Easton Stick on Monday afternoon.
As for what any of this means (or doesn’t mean) for Cousins and the Falcons, Fontenot doubled-down on Morris’ Annual League Meetings comments about a particular trade of Cousins, and how the Falcons are open to it.
“Regardless of the player, we have always said we will do what’s best for this football team, whether that is a trade or whatever that is,” Fontenot said. “So, we are open to whatever it is if it helps the team. Those calls are really important, too, in terms of the trades.”
Asked specifically if he could envision receiving more calls for Cousins during the draft, Fontenot said he “couldn’t really anticipate that right now,” for Cousins or any other player at that. He did make note that while there will always be in-draft trades, there’s also a lot of movement after the draft, too, depending on what happens and what needs shift for teams based on their picks. That remains to be the case for the quarterback market a day before the 2025 NFL Draft begins.
To this point, there are a number of quarterback dominoes that need to fall before a hypothetical Cousins domino does. Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision. Derek Carr’s injury could throw a wrinkle into New Orleans’ draft plans. Plus, who knows what the Giants will do. While answers to those situations could manifest this weekend, Cousins’ future will remain in the back of everyone’s minds.
