Is Kirk Cousins ‘Manna from Heaven’ for the Browns?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks that Kirk Cousins may just be Cleveland’s way out of the Watson disaster

As the short Atlanta Falcons chapter of the career of Kirk Cousins comes to a close, the obvious connection to the Cleveland Browns will not go away.

The Browns will be looking for a new quarterback to bring in as the Deshaun Watson experience appears to be over whether he is on the roster in 2025 or not. That leaves the Browns looking for an answer at the quarterback position, and likely a shorter-term one short of landing Sam Darnold in free agency.

Cousins, benched for rookie first round pick Michael Penix Jr. due to subpar play less than one year into the massive three-year deal he signed, is set to be released by the Falcons this offseason as he does not have a tradeable contract. This means he will be able to choose his next team once again this offseason.

One analyst, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler continues to connect the dots between Cousins and his former offensive coordinator in Minnesota, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Fowler goes as far as to call Cousins “Manna from Heaven” for the Browns considering what his cap cost may be.

Comparing this situation to Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers after his release from the Denver Broncos, Fowler states that Cousins can be had for around the veteran minimum based on his age, play after returning from his achilles injury, and the amount of guaranteed money he would still be making from the Falcons.

There are certainly better options than the 36-year-old Cousins, but if the Browns do not want to spend big money hunting Sam Darnold or draft either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, then Cousins may just be their best option for the short-term to help them get out from underneath of the Watson contract.