It's never too early to start laughing at a division rival. That's what makes Tampa Bay Buccaneers having a front row seat to the hilarious mess unfolding in Atlanta so satisfying, as the Kirk Cousins disaster is a gift that keeps on giving.
Around this time last year the Falcons were prematurely crowned NFC South champions after signing Cousins to a $180 million deal in free agency. Now they can't give him away if they tried, as Atlanta seems to be stuck with what SI's Albert Breer dubbed an 'expensive second-string quarterback'.
That wasn't all he noted in his latest column. Breer points out that the Falcons might have waited too long to trade Cousins and look to be stuck with him for the foreseeable future. It's a tough break for fans in Atlanta and absolute comedy gold for those in Tampa.
NFL insider offers up comedy gold for Buccaneers fans regarding Kirk Cousins' situation
"Realistically, at this point, it seems like the two possible exit doors for Cousins open if the Steelers don’t land Rodgers or another quarterback gets hurt somewhere. But even if there’s an injury, it’d have to happen before the trade deadline. And there’s a chance that Cousins wouldn’t want to uproot his family—and could thus block a trade if he doesn’t like the destination," Breer wrote.
I hope you were sitting down for that, because goodness gracious it's amazing.
This would already be hilarious for Bucs fans even if it wasn't tinged with all of the misplaced hype the Falcons were bestowed last offseason. On the heels of Tampa Bay securing Baker Mayfield after last-minute rumors that the Falcons were going to make a run at him in free agency, Atlanta overpaid for Cousins and are still trying to pick itself up off the financial mat.
Cousins not only didn't lead the Falcons to a division title, he didn't even finish the season as starter. He was replaced by rookie Michael Penix Jr., which is a whole different area of the funny farm fans fan visit for a great laugh.
The fact that the Bucs have won four-straight NFC South titles shouldn't be taken for granted, but stuff like what the Falcons are doing make it hard to pick against Tampa Bay. Carolina is still up-and-coming, and the Saints remain a total mess while the Falcons are stuck with $180 million backup.
It's easy to get frustrated with things like Todd Bowles' questionable coaching decisions or lost in anxiety over not having addressed the linebacker situation, but this is a reminder that even on their worst day the Bucs are still better off than the Falcons.
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