Falcons’ asking price for Kirk Cousins revealed

The Atlanta Falcons are at least somewhat open to trading quarterback Kirk Cousins, but their asking price is reportedly turning some teams off.

The Falcons have had exploratory talks with teams interested in Cousins, but their asking price is high, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Falcons want interested teams to take on $20 million of Cousins’ $37.5 million in outstanding guarantees, which no team has been willing to do.

There is a belief, according to Schefter, that some teams might be willing to take on $10 million in guarantees, but the Falcons are not willing to compromise that much yet unless teams are willing to give up more in draft compensation than they have been to date.

This does indicate, at least, that the Falcons know a Cousins move is inevitable. Publicly, they have suggested that they are under no obligation to trade the quarterback, even though he is little more than an expensive backup after losing his job to Michael Penix Jr. last season. However, getting even some of Cousins’ money off the books would benefit them and allow them to move on from what has become a fiasco.

One team in particular keeps getting linked to Cousins and may still trade for the veteran. However, Atlanta will clearly have to compromise a bit more before that might come to pass.

Cousins is entering the second year of a 4-year, $180 million contract he signed with Atlanta a year ago. He threw 18 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions for the Falcons in 14 games last season before being benched.