Kirk Cousins and the Browns have been linked more than pepperoni and pizza in recent weeks. The signing would make a lot of sense for Cleveland if he were to be released into free agency. Let’s explore whether or not it’d be worth it to acquire him another way.

The goal for the Falcons’ front office should be to trade him for essentially nothing (like a late-round conditional pick swap) while absorbing the vast majority of the $27.5 million he’s guaranteed in 2025. Because the only offsetting money they’d recoup from a team who were to sign him as a free agent after his release would be the $1.255 million in (minimum) Paragraph 5 salary he’d be getting paid by a new team.

So any team wanting to usher in a new QB at some point this year but not intending to start them Week 1, would theoretically be willing to pay $15 million for a veteran like Cousins to begin the season as the starter and potentially hold the clipboard later in the campaign.

And in that trade scenario, the acquiring team would be on the hook for the vesting 2026 roster bonus of $10 million and could take on $5 million of his 2025 money due. That team would terminate the contract after the season when there are no remaining guarantees and will have had his services for one year, $15 million.

For Atlanta, paying $22.5 million is a lot better than paying $26.245 million to not have Cousins on their team. No one will trade for him and pay all of what he’s due for 2025. But if the Falcons pay most of it, a trade could make sense for both clubs.

It wouldn’t be a surprise for the Browns to be a team interested in paying Cousins around $15 million for one year of work, whether they draft a QB or not. The free agent market will be notably weak at the position this offseason. And Stefanski — who is likely coaching for his job this go-round — has a successful history with him.

—@PoisonPill4