The Arizona Cardinals will wrap up what has been a disappointing 2025 season on Sunday when they face the Los Angeles Rams, and then will immediately begin an offseason full of questions. Will they fire head coach Jonathan Gannon? Will Kyler Murray be traded? Who will the quarterback and head coach be if both of those things happen?
If and when the Cardinals do trade Murray, that will leave them without a starting quarterback, which is why Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report labels Kirk Cousins as a potential answer for 2026.
"While [Jacoby] Brissett has been a fine placeholder, he hasn't delivered wins," Knox writes. "If the Cardinals don't believe they can land a quarterback in the draft—they currently hold the fifth overall selection—Cousins would make sense. Cardinals offense coordinator Drew Petzing worked with Cousins for two seasons, as the Minnesota Vikings' assistant QB coach in 2018 and the Vikings' wide receivers coach in 2019. Partnering Cousins with Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and Michael Wilson in Petzing's offense could give the Cardinals a much-needed boost."
Cousins has started seven games for the Atlanta Falcons in relief of Michael Penix, who was lost for the season due to a torn ACL, throwing nine touchdowns to four interceptions. It's widely believed that the Falcons will release Cousins in the offseason, which would allow Arizona to sign him to a cheap veteran deal. If Cousins has anything left and is paired with the right offense, perhaps he can help unlock the potential of Marvin Harrison Jr. And help Arizona get back to the postseason.
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