Kirk Cousins should refuse to waive his no-trade clause

As we ponder the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins and his very tradable salary of $27.5 million for 2025, it’s important to remember one thing.

Cousins has a no-trade clause. And he should refuse to waive it.

When he chose the Falcons over the Vikings, he knew Minnesota planned to make a one-year commitment and to draft his eventual replacement. In Atlanta, he didn’t expect that the eighth overall pick would be used on his successor. Even if no one from the Falcons told him a flat-out lie, there was a certain amount of dishonesty in the omission.

But, hey, it’s just business. It’s not personal. To which Cousins should say, “Exactly.”

It’s just business for him to say to the Falcons that he will not, under any circumstances, waive his no-trade clause. That they’ll have to keep him and pay him, or cut him.

They already owe him $27.5 million, beyond the $62.5 million he has received for 2024. If he’s on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year, another $10 million in 2026 becomes fully-guaranteed.

Why should he waive the no-trade clause? He won’t make any more money with a new team than the $27.5 million he’s due to receiver. And his new team would have to give up a draft pick to get him.

Kirk should dig in his heels, refuse to be traded, and either take $27.5 million to not play (plus another $10 million in 2026, if they don’t cut him) or get released and pick his next team at the league minimum, sticking the Falcons for the balance.

Again, it’s just business. And business goes both ways. Teams routinely make shrewd business decisions about their players. Cousins has made a series of shrewd business decisions about his teams.

Why should he stop now?