“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.

The Falcons went into their Week 10 game against the Saints leading the division at 6-3 and looking poised to end the franchise’s six-season playoff drought (now seven). But from that loss to New Orleans, something went terribly wrong for Atlanta, and it was clear that Kirk Cousins wasn’t right.

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