With Alex Smith heading to Washington as the Redskins' new quarterback, Kirk Cousins will likely become a free agent this offseason. It's rare that a quarterback of Cousins' caliber hits the open market, so he's expected to draw plenty of interest. One potential suitor? The Arizona Cardinals, who lost Carson Palmer to retirement this offseason.
On Thursday, Cardinals star cornerback Patrick Peterson gave his pitch for Cousins when Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's "First Take" asked him if Arizona should make a move for Cousins.
"Why not? I believe Kirk can definitely get us over the top," Peterson said. "He'll be in warm weather, playing on one of the best turfs in the NFL, have some great talent around him, running game, receivers, tight end, you name it. We have everything that he needs to be successful."
He said something similar on radio row at the Super Bowl, calling him a "damn good quarterback."
"We've got everything he would need for a quarterback to be successful," Peterson said Thursday, via azcentral.com. "We've got a pretty solid defense, talent all across the board on offense, nice running game that can complement him. He's a damn good quarterback, he just needs pieces to help him be successful."
The Cardinals might not be the best team in the mix -- if the Vikings or Jaguars get involved, they'll own the edge -- and they might not be able to offer Cousins as much money as, say, the Jets, but Peterson's not necessarily wrong about them being a good fit. They might not be a good team, but they're not a bad team. Even though they didn't have superstar running back David Johnson for pretty much the entire season and dealt with injuries at quarterback, they still went 8-8 in 2017. Cousins could fit in nicely alongside Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, assuming Fitzgerald doesn't decide to retire.
If Cousins chooses to go elsewhere, the Cardinals could try to bring a bridge quarterback like Sam Bradford or Josh McCown. They could also try to move up in the draft or just hope a top-tier quarterback falls to them at No. 15. In his latest mock draft, R.J. White has the Cardinals taking Baker Mayfield.
But it really wouldn't be surprising to see the Cardinals make a run at Cousins. They're lacking a starting quarterback and their draft position will make it difficult for them to grab their next franchise quarterback in the first round. But they'll have plenty of competition. Like Peterson, Broncos players are already talking about how Cousins could be the cure they so desperately desire. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora has reported that the Jets will chase him. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco thinks he'll wind up in Jacksonville. The Browns and Bills could also be on his list of potential landing spots.
Over the past three seasons, only five quarterbacks with a minimum of 16 starts have a higher passer rating than Cousins (97.5). Those five quarterbacks? Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, and Aaron Rodgers, according to Pro Football Reference.
Let the sweepstakes begin.