Kirk Cousins is ‘seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta': report
Kirk Cousins is ‘seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta': report originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Justin Fields rumors and reports of being traded to the Falcons appear to be overblown.
A new report from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says Kirk Cousins is "seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta." Florio couldn't delve into the specifics of this report, but cited his report from "very credible indications."
Florio reported the Falcons have been a top alternative to Cousins, aside from the Vikings. His wife, Julie, grew up in nearby Georgia, too, and her parents still live there. Cousins will become a free agent next Wednesday when NFL free agency opens.
The Falcons have been a heavy favorite for Fields, who will presumably be traded away from the Bears as soon as possible. A league source told NBC Sports Chicago's Josh Schrock the Falcons checked in with the Bears about Fields. Their interest in him was genuine.
Or was it?
"The Falcons previously had been linked to a trade with the Bears for quarterback Justin Fields. Ultimately, that might have just been a misdirection, aimed at potentially letting them snag Cousins while the Vikings assumed no one else would make him a better offer than whatever the Vikings have made," Florio suggested.
Although there appear to be interested suitors in Fields, his market may not be as robust as the Bears had hoped it would be, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
“I don’t think the market for him is as robust as the Bears and he had thought,” he said. “They talked about hoping to move on from him if they’re comfortable with a quarterback in this draft by the start of free agency.”
Fields is a Georgia native and the Falcons have alluded to their interest in him since the NFL combine began.
"You want to go get the best fit for your people, you want to get the best fit for your coaches, you want to go get the best fit for our city, and you want to do all those things," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told CBS Sports at the NFL Scouting Combine about Atlanta's QB search. "There's nothing ruled out. I forgot to mention trades, because all of those things come into play. We’ve really been tedious, we’ve really been going through the process of how we are going to acquire the best fit for us."
Morris knew his comments would turn heads, yet he doubled down on the Falcons' importance to gain a leader for the team and the city.
"People are going to read into those words or whatever – however they do those things," Morris said. "There are people that are from Atlanta. There are people from around Atlanta. You can name the milage of how close some of those people are. You got to do what’s best and what’s right for your team at the right time. We won’t rule out anything until we have to make those decisions at that date.”
For what it's worth, the odds for the Falcons to land Fields are heavily in their favor. They've jumped twice in the past from -300 to -425. But now it appears Cousins is the favorite to land in Atlanta.
Where will the Bears send Fields, if they opt to trade him?
Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.
