“Trade him for the love of God” - NFL fans react to Kirk Cousins’ absence from Falcons OTAs 2 months after $180,000,000 contract drama

Kirk Cousins appeared to be set for a long stint with the Atlanta Falcons after signing a four-year, $180 million contract in the 2024 offseason. However, due to lackluster performances, a midseason demotion, and over two months of trade speculation later, he may be unhappy with his position.

On Tuesday, head coach Raheem Morris told reporters that the multiple-time Pro Bowler had skipped the first day of the team's OTAs.

Fans took it as a sign that he wanted out.

"Trade him for the love of God," one fan said.

"Atlanta wasted a lot of money on Kirk," one lamented.

"Kirk might be headed to Pittsburgh where all the washed QB1s eventually end up," another speculated.

"Someone please put me in contact with his agent," one "instructed."

"Sounds like a deal is imminent," another sensed.

"Uhhhhhh….. retirement?" another deviated.

The Falcons' quarterback was benched late last season and carried a hefty contract. The front office decided to move forward with Cousins back in March, but they were in a dilemma about whether to trust him. They had to choose between paying a $10 million roster bonus to Cousins in 2026 or releasing him by March 17. The franchise ended up paying the amount and keeping Cousins on its roster.

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Ryan Clark gets blunt about Kirk Cousins' prospects of landing at Steelers

One of the teams that would make sense for Kirk Cousins should he get his wish for a trade is the Pittsburgh Steelers, as reported by Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter:

“I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is, at the very least, on the Steelers’ radar if something were to fall through on Rodgers.”

But for that to happen, some concession will have to be made:

"Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees between this year and next year. Somebody's on the hook for that, whether it's Atlanta or someone else. So to facilitate a trade, Atlanta would need a team to offset some of that money, whether it's $4 million, $20 million, whatever it is."

The Falcons are highly unlikely to agree to such a compromise, and Ryan Clark agrees with that sentiment. He said on "NFL Live:"

“I understand what Jeremy might be hearing, and it does seem like the eventual next step if you can’t get Aaron Rodgers, but what makes you think Kirk Cousins is going to be better than Mason Rudolph? What makes you think that Kirk Cousins’ arm is more lively or can maneuver in the pocket better? He can’t.”

The AFC North runners-up have been awaiting Aaron Rodgers' decision since March, when he was released from the New York Jets. So far, he has been holding off. He explained on "The Joe Rogan Experience" that his close friends were battling cancer, which delayed his decision.