Since the end of the 2024 regular season, there has already been some speculation about former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins parting with the Atlanta Falcons and landing with the Cleveland Browns this year.
Well, that speculation isn't about to die down anytime soon, especially after the Browns revealed on Friday that quarterback Deshaun Watson recently re-tore the Achilles that he injured back in October. Watson has already undergone surgery to repair the second rupture, but Cleveland expects him to "miss significant time" next season.
Currently, the Browns own the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and even if they use that selection on a quarterback, they will probably still be looking to add a veteran signal-caller with starting experience to their locker room this offseason. That's where Cousins comes in.
Former Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins leaving the Atlanta Falcons for the Cleveland Browns in 2025 makes a ton of sense
Recently, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot claimed that the team is "very comfortable moving forward" with Cousins as Atlanta's backup quarterback. That might be true, but it's hard to imagine the veteran signal-caller is also comfortable with the possibility of entering the 2025 season as the Falcons' No. 2 quarterback.
Cousins has been a full-time starting signal-caller in the NFL since the 2015 season, and while his time in the league seems to be nearing the end, he would probably like to see if he can get at least one more shot to start for a team next season.
Based on just the franchise's current need of a new quarterback alone, Cousins landing in Cleveland this year makes a lot of sense. But then one considers that he's already been able to achieve success with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in the past, it could potentially be a place that revitalizes the quarterback's career.
In 2019, when Stefanski was Cousins's offensive coordinator in Minnesota, the Pro Bowl quarterback had arguably the most efficient single season of his entire NFL career, as he completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just six interceptions to finish with a passer rating of 107.4.
There's no guarantee that Stefanski and Cousins would be successful together again in 2025, especially since the former Vikings quarterback 37 by the start of the 2025 regular season. But at this point, anyone other than Watson starting under center next season likely sounds wonderful to Browns fans.