Busy Week For Kirk Cousins Meeting With Falcons To Ask For A Way Out; Followed By Visit To The White House
These are interesting days for Kirk Cousins because the Atlanta Falcons are insisting he's their backup quarterback and the rest of the NFL is trying to slot him in somewhere else to start and, oh yeah, he's visiting Donald Trump in the White House.
That's where he was on Friday afternoon, according to Margo Martin, special assistant to the president and communications advisor.
Reason For Cousins Visit Unclear
We are not certain why, exactly, Cousins was in the White House. FOXNews is attempting to find out as of this writing.
But regardless of this visit, we do know these are important days for the Falcons quarterback. For starters, he doesn't want to be on the Falcons anymore because they have moved on to Michael Penix Jr. as their starter.
And they have curiously taken the position that Cousins is their backup despite the fact he'll be paid a guaranteed base salary of $27.5 million in 2025 and, barring his release or trade, would get another $10 million roster bonus guarantee on March 17 for the 2026 season.
So it makes sense to everyone that Cousins be traded (won't happen) or be released (only real possibility).
Sports Illustrated reported Friday that Cousins this week met with Falcons owner Arthur Blank – a meeting in which the quarterback explained he wants to go play for a team where he has a chance to be a starter.
No word on whether that sensible stance will take hold or not with the Falcons.
President Donald Trump plays his shot from the ninth tee during the ProAm round of the LIV Golf Bedminster golf tournament at Trump National Bedminster in 2023. Photo: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Trump Is Definitely About Sports
And, well, maybe Cousins dropped by the White House to get his friend President Trump to intervene on his behalf.
(Kidding).
That is definitively not the reason he was at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
It is not a surprise, however, that Trump would entertain an NFL quarterback amid other assignments – like waging a tariff war and trying to stop actual wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
We told you weeks ago that Trump is arguably the most sports-minded President in the history of the United States. And that was before he attended the Super Bowl. Before he had the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers visit the White House. And Tiger Woods, too, on Feb. 25.
And before Trump called the USA national team before one of its hockey games against the Canadians.
Trump and Cousins have history.
MINNEAPOLIS - Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the field during the second quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 26, 2021. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Trump Celebrated Cousins Win With Call
Trump and Cousins played golf together in 2017, when Cousins still played for the Washington Redskins, during Trump's first term. Cousins said they got along because Trump is "friendly" and "easy to talk to," Cousins said.
A couple of years later, during the 2019 NFL season, Trump called Cousins, now with the Minnesota Vikings, to congratulate him on a victory over the New York Giants in Week 5 of the season.
Yes, Cousins had a good game, completing 81.5 percent of his passes and throwing 2 TDs without an interception, and the Vikings won, but it seemed kind of, well, random.
Presidents traditionally reserve their phone calls for a man walking on the moon for the first time ever, or teams winning the World Series, or Pete Rose breaking the all-time hit record.
But there was Trump on the line.
"When the president calls, I don't care who it is, left, right, whatever, down the middle," Cousins said. And if he says call me, I'm going to give him a call and see what he wants.''