The NFL world has once again descended on Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine, meaning tampering season is well underway (even if the so-called “legal tampering period” doesn’t begin for another eight days).
And as NFL decision makers schmooze at St. Elmo Steak House, scoop artists are diligently working to feed the insatiable appetite of football fans for transactional news. Perhaps one of the biggest league-wide storylines heading into Indy is the future of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins was informed by the Falcons’ new general manager last week that the team would release him before the start of the league year, putting the 37-year-old back on the market for quarterback-needy teams. It’s unclear exactly what the market for Cousins looks like after primarily serving as a backup last season in Atlanta.
The seemingly muted interest in Cousins’ services have led many to speculate the four-time Pro Bowler could be headed to television, rather than a 53-man roster, next season. Each of the past two postseasons, Cousins has served as a guest analyst in an NFL studio, first for ESPN and then for CBS. Both times, Cousins has drawn positive reviews. He’s also raised his profile through appearing on two seasons of Netflix’s docuseries Quarterback.
But according to one NFL insider, Cousins will not be pursuing a career in television quite yet. Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, “rumors of [Cousins] potentially retiring to take a TV job are incorrect.”
There are multiple TV openings that could’ve made sense for Cousins this offseason. For one, CBS will need to replace Matt Ryan on The NFL Today as the former Falcons quarterback took a job as the team’s president. Second, NBC is shaking up its Football Night in America studio show, reportedly showing Tony Dungy the door with Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth’s jobs also in serious question.
In other words, if Cousins wanted to go into TV, this would’ve been a good year to do it. However, it seems like the quarterback still believes he has something left in the tank.
That said, don’t expect a resolution to the Kirk Cousins saga anytime soon. “He could be selective about his next destination,” Graziano reports, suggesting Cousins will “wait to see” how other situations around the league shake out before deciding on his future.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.