Cousins says he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 10 against the Saints and never returned to full strength afterward.

If Cousins were to want to leave Atlanta, he would have to approve of any move due to the no-trade clause within his contract. Not only is that a hurdle the Falcons may have to jump through, but they will likely have to eat more than $37.5 million of Cousins's salary.

“Spielman’s presence in the front office is sure to spark Kirk Cousins speculation,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote on February 10. “As the Minnesota Vikings’ GM, Spielman signed Cousins to a huge free agent deal in 2018. Cousins, who enjoyed his most productive years in Minnesota, is likely to be cut or traded by the Atlanta Falcons in the coming weeks.