The Green Bay Packers are looking for a backup quarterback after Malik Willis departed for the Miami Dolphins this offseason and several options have appeared as free agency has continued. But while fans may be fixated on a potential trade for Anthony Richardson or Tanner McKee, they may have to accept that Kirk Cousins may become a realistic possibility.
The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman made the pitch for Cousins when listing veterans the Packers could still target in free agency on Tuesday morning. While Cousins is being patient to find a starting job, his connections to Green Bay and head coach Matt LaFleur make it feel like it could be an option the longer he stays on the market.
“The idea of adding a proven veteran like Cousins, who can at least help the Packers tread water if Love goes down, might entice head coach Matt LaFleur,” Schneidman wrote. “Cousins might (understandably) want to sign with a team whose starter is less entrenched than [Jordan] Love, but perhaps the idea of reuniting with his position coach from his first two years in the NFL (LaFleur) entices him too.”
Kirk Cousins Could Be Ideal QB2 for Packers
The idea of Cousins wearing a Packers jersey might take some getting used to for fans that watched him start for the Minnesota Vikings over six seasons. But it may be a strong insurance plan for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Love is entrenched as the starting quarterback in Green Bay, but he’s missed four games and left four more after starting over past two seasons due to injury. While it may be more appealing to have a project like Richardson or McKee behind Love, it doesn’t make sense for a team that wants a championship and saw the NFC North separated by two games from the first-place Chicago Bears to the last-place Detroit Lions last year.
While the Packers have Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord on the roster, neither player has the resume to be a reliable option. Schneidman also believes there’s a chance that neither is on the roster come Week 1 although the Packers could still give them “a fair shot” to win the job this offseason..
“Green Bay really values the position, which might make it unlikely that Desmond Ridder or Kyle McCord…are in the No. 2 role come Week 1,” Schneidman wrote. “Could one of them seize the job with a strong offseason? Sure, It wasn’t until late August 2024 that the Packers traded for Willis since their plan of backing up Love with Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt didn’t pan out.”
That’s where Cousins can provide a security blanket. Over 14 seasons, he has thrown for 44,700 yards with 298 touchdowns and 131 interceptions. In his 10 seasons as a full-time starter, he has thrown for over 4,000 yards seven times and 25 or more touchdowns eight times. He even showed that he can handle a backup role with the Atlanta Falcons last year, completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while posting a 5-3 record in eight starts after Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL.
With a previous connection with Cousins as his quarterbacks coach with the Washington Commanders during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, LaFleur would be wise to pick up the phone and give Cousins a call. But there are some obstacles that could prevent him from actually landing in Green Bay.
Packers Could Have Complicated Pursuit of Kirk Cousins
Cousins is approaching his age 38 season and has shown signs of decline after tearing his Achilles at Lambeau Field in October of 2023. Over the past two years, Cousins has completed 65% of his passes for 5,229 yards and 28 touchdowns, but it’s come with 21 interceptions including a league-high 16 picks that helped him get benched during the 2024 season.
There’s also Cousins’s desire to land another starting job in the NFL. Speaking with FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams shortly after the end of the season, Cousins said he felt rejuvenated after getting the chance to start last season and made his intent clear that he wanted to see the field more in 2026.
“I want to play,” Cousins said during his appearance on the Up & Adams Show on Jan. 6. “I don’t know if you want to call it starter or whatever you want to call it. The chance to go out there and compete in the league is what I think we all want. We’ll see where everything is when the dust settles.”
That comment brings up another hurdle. According to Over The Cap, Cousins ranks third all-time with $331.4 million in career earnings and he’s not behind Aaron Rodgers ($395.8 million) and Matthew Stafford ($408 million) by accident. Cousins has been the head of the negotiation table throughout his career and it helped land a four-year, $180 million contract from the Falcons despite coming off his torn Achilles in 2024.
With the potential of starting jobs opening up during training camp due to injury, Cousins could wait it out and sign when the time is right. Even if the Packers appear to be the option, Cousins could decline the chance to be a backup and jump at the chance to take a broadcasting job. NBC could be an option after dropping Tony Dungy from its coverage earlier this offseason but Cousins already has gotten positive reviews for his previous work with CBS and ESPN.
Those hurdles make it seem unlikely that Cousins will be willing to back up Love in 2026. But if McCord and Ridder both fail to claim the job, the Packers may be one of the best opportunities on the market even without a starting job available. With the chance to fill the open spot in his memorabilia room reserved for a Lombardi Trophy, he may be willing to bend and join the Packers if his free agent tour drags on into the summer.