Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins 'finished' after nightmare 18 months, claims NFL insider

Kirk Cousins may never seen the NFL field as a permanent starter again, as one NFL insider has claimed he is 'finished' after the horrible nightmare of his last 18 months. 

Cousins' last year-and-a-half saw him take a big-money move to become the Atlanta Falcons starter, only for the team to select Michael Penix Jr. with the No 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft without consulting him.  

With his likely successor already on the roster, in good enough form to take NFL snaps, Cousins reign as QB1 lasted 14 games, or nearly $13million per start from the 4-year, $180million contract he signed. 

Cousins led the Falcons to a 7-7 record, as has not played a snap since being benched for Penix, who did fail to lead Atlanta to the postseason, yet, retained his grip on the starting job.  

Now, The Athletic's James Palmer believes the 37-year-old's time in the NFL is beyond dwindling.  

'There were some people around the league that I talked to that think Kirk Cousins is essentially done,' Palmer said on Scoop City. 'I don’t know if that’s a universal thought or not, so it has to be the right team that doesn’t think that.'

Cousins went into the season primed to be a trade target for a team who needed an experienced starter, or a playoff team wanting depth at the most important position on the field. 

As Week 3 unfolds, zero movement to poach Cousins has come from around the league despite a few quarterback injuries. 

That may be due to the high price tag to take on Cousins' contract, which is a heavy load for a struggling team and for a player on the back end of his career that might not play much. 

Cousins should have value on the trade market in name alone, due to his years of success in Washington and Minnesota.  

Stuck in NFL purgatory, Cousins' lasting legacy might have the final chapters being the most-expensive backup in football history.