2 days Ago By Falcons Wire
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank knows when to listen, and that's what he did during his recent phone call with quarterback Kirk Cousins. While speaking at the NFL owners meetings, Blank described his hour-long conversation with Cousins."I took five pages of notes, literally five pages of notes," Blank said of his chat with the Falcons quarterback.
"It could not have been a more cordial and more respectful conversation." Blank said he felt the call cleared up some things between Cousins and the organization, which bodes well for both parties going forward."He also understood where we were as a team and as a franchise," said Blank.
"I think it created clarity about what he hoped for and what his views were -- and what happened and why it happened."The 36-year-old has a $27.5 million base salary in 2025, which isn't ideal for a backup quarterback in the NFL.
Cousins and Blank know Michael Penix Jr. is the future and the two sides seem to be on good terms as they attempt to work out the best exit strategy.The Cleveland Browns have been rumored as a potential landing spot for Cousins if the two sides can work out some form of trade.
However, if a deal doesn't come together, the Falcons are in a tough spot. Cousins has a no-trade clause -- which he will reportedly waive after the 2025 NFL draft -- and Atlanta has nothing to gain by releasing him. The best strategy for the team to sit back and hope a deal comes together before the season begins.
It's hard to imagine the Falcons keeping Cousins in any situation, but Blank isn't willing to budge just yet."If he ends up being our backup quarterback, we'll have the best in the league, which is always a good thing," Blank concluded.This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Arthur Blank took notes on call with Kirk Cousins.
