The Atlanta Falcons benched Kirk Cousins after the team’s Week 15 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The team allowed rookie Michael Penix Jr. to lead, and Cousins seems likely to depart after this season.
The Cleveland Browns are rumored to be a destination for the veteran quarterback. However, Bill Simmons was quite surprised by how thrilled the Browns’ fans on the team’s subreddit were about getting Cousins.
Bill Simmons on Browns Fans’ Interest in Kirk Cousins
The Ringer’s CEO discussed it during a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” Browns fans’ experience with Deshaun Watson has led them to believe that the team will be better off with a 36-year-old quarterback who just had the worst season of his career.
“I was on Browns Reddit today, which is one of the darkest places on the internet,” Simmons said. “There’s even a ‘Should we make a run at Kirk Cousins this offseason?’ thread. That’s a thread on Browns Reddit. It’s dark, man. It’s some of the darkest s**t you’ll see.” [From 42:03 mark]
He added, “Browns’ Reddit was saying that, apparently, [Jameis Winston] is hurt too. And if anything happens with DTR [Dorian Thompson-Robinson], it’s Bailey Zappe time.”
Cleveland is 3-13 on the season and recently lost 20-3 against a Miami Dolphins team without Tua Tagovailoa. Thompson-Robinson was the Browns quarterback in this Week 17 fixture, and he finished 24-of-47 passing for 170 yards and an interception.
The second-year quarterback from UCLA has thrown just one touchdown and 10 interceptions in his NFL career. He is not the long-term answer for the team, so they have to pivot to other options to create competition for Watson in 2025.
Browns Are Also Linked With a Move for Aaron Rodgers
Cousins is not the only veteran quarterback the Browns are interested in. The AFC North franchise could also pursue Aaron Rodgers, who could be released by the New York Jets after this season.
Rap: Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins could be potential QB options for Browns in offseason.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) December 29, 2024
Watson will be with the Browns next year, and he recently shared an update on his recovery from the Achilles injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rodgers and Cousins suffered Achilles injuries last year, and their performance has vastly been affected this season. The Jets quarterback has shown improvement throughout the season, but since he is 41, nobody knows how much time he has left in the league.
It’s still too early to tell whether Cousins’ performances with the Falcons were just poor form or whether he will continue to be like this for the rest of his career. The four-time Pro Bowler could be an interesting option for the Browns, but everything depends on his health.
In 14 games this year, Cousins threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career-high total of 16 interceptions. If the Browns cannot draft Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, they must consider getting Rodgers or Cousins.
The franchise will still hope that Watson can pull off a miracle and start playing like he did during his time in Houston, as the 29-year-old quarterback still has two years left on his current deal.