Kirk Cousins’ descent might have started off slowly, but his demise with the Atlanta Falcons wrapped up in a hurry.

In a four-game losing streak that pushed the Falcons out of first place in the NFC South and to the fringe of the playoff picture, Cousins stood out as the pressing problem behind the team’s woes, throwing for eight interceptions while being held without a touchdown. Yet it wasn’t until Monday night’s 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, in which Cousins did not attempt a single pass on first down prior to halftime and was held to a season-low 112 yards, that things truly began to unravel. Falcons coach Raheem Morris, who had been steadfast in his support of his starter in the weeks prior, was noncommittal after the game about the team’s plan at quarterback.

‘We didn’t play well enough (at) the quarterback position, and we got to find ways to play better,’ Morris said.

Less than 24 hours later, the Falcons announced Cousins’ benching. Rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. will take over for the remaining three games of the regular season.

The move marked a stunning potential beginning to the end of Cousins’ time in Atlanta, just nine months and 14 starts after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract. Brought aboard to elevate a talent-rich offense that appeared ready to make a significant leap, he instead proved to be one of the unit’s biggest limitations, throwing for an NFL-worst 16 interceptions.

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So, what’s next for Cousins?

Many signs seemingly point to a split sometime in the next three months, as an additional $10 million – he already is due $27.5 million for 2025 – will become guaranteed from Atlanta if he’s still on the roster by March 16. Facilitating a trade might entail paying down some of Cousins’ salary, and the veteran’s no-trade clause could be a substantial road block for the Falcons in figuring out a deal.

That all could indicate that Cousins’ first steps on his redemption arc could mirror those of Russell Wilson, whose release by the Denver Broncos in March entailed the largest dead cap hit ($85 million) in NFL history. (Cousins would spark a $65 million dead cap hit without a post-June 1 designation.) Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the start of free agency and, after taking over the starting role from Justin Fields in October once healthy, led the franchise to another playoff berth.

But regardless of how he is acquired, which teams might make sense as landing spots for Cousins in 2025? Here are the top 10 options, ranked on fit and need:

1. Cleveland Browns

Maybe what Cousins needs most to revive his career is a coach who understands his capabilities and still believes in him. If that’s the case, there’s likely no better destination for him than Cleveland. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was Cousins’ offensive coordinator on the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, when the quarterback posted a career-best 107.4 passer rating and was selected to his second of four Pro Bowls. Cleveland remains financially committed to Deshaun Watson for two more years, but Cousins could be exactly the kind of low-cost option the team could embrace if it decides to cut its losses on one of the most ill-fated moves in NFL history. While Stefanski handed play-calling duties over to Ken Dorsey this season, Cousins would likely find plenty of comfort and familiarity in the offense. Hard to imagine a much better opportunity out there for the 13th-year veteran to get his footing back.

2. Tennessee Titans

The most direct route to a starting job for Cousins in 2025 might take him to Nashville. First-year coach Brian Callahan appears to have reached his breaking point with Will Levis, who was benched this week for Mason Rudolph. But barring a massive shake-up in the draft order, Tennessee could be frozen out of the chance to take either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward in a draft class that lacks a clear third passing prospect worthy of a top-10 pick. Cousins’ turnovers might present some cause for concern given how frequently the offense has been undone by Levis’ giveaways, but even a little more stability for this unit could go a long way. Tennessee could install Cousins as the top option to start out and still take a flier on a signal-caller after the first round – the team is without its third-rounder after trading it to the Kansas City Chiefs in the L’Jarius Sneed deal – without overcommitting in its rebuild.

3. New York Giants

One way or another, the Falcons are sure to shape the Giants’ quarterback plan for next season. As the team to face Penix in his starting debut Sunday, New York will either extend its nine-game losing streak to continue on the path to a top-two draft pick or potentially fall back several slots in the tentative first-round order with a win. But even using a premium pick on a rookie passer might not preclude the Giants from considering Cousins. Though co-owner John Mara stated in October his intention to keep general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, the franchise could consider incorporating a bridge starter to provide a smooth handoff to its long-term answer behind center. In a thin market at the position, Cousins could be one of the more attractive options for such a role – if he’s willing to take it.

4. New York Jets

No point in trying to determine the Jets’ trajectory for next year, as the organization is essentially a blank slate with no one currently in line to make the first mark. With Aaron Rodgers seeming to be a long shot to return, according to multiple reports, Cousins could be a placeholder starter for the new regime, which might not be inclined to make a big swing on a rookie quarterback in a subpar class. Having Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams – if Gang Green holds onto him – would provide some foundation for success, though Atlanta’s bevy of skill-position talent wasn’t enough to keep Cousins afloat this season. Still, there would no doubt be some grumbling about transitioning from a 41-year-old quarterback who showed ill effects of a torn Achilles to a 36-year-old quarterback who showed ill effects of a torn Achilles.

5. Indianapolis Colts

Would they? Could they? After the Matt Ryan saga, Chris Ballard would be roasted if he brought on another end-of-career quarterback from Atlanta. Yet for an organization that seems on track to run things back with Anthony Richardson for another year, adding a new veteran backup for insurance might be a necessity after Joe Flacco proved unfit for the job this season. Ballard and Shane Steichen’s potential hot-seat status in 2025, assuming they both return, could push them to at least consider the option.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

With Wilson and Justin Fields both set to become free agents, the Cousins possibility can’t be fully ruled out just yet. But while Cousins might fit well in Arthur Smith’s play-action-heavy offense, the only real upside for Mike Tomlin here would be getting another year of an established signal-caller at an extreme discount rather than giving Wilson would could be sizable salary bump. The turnover factor also might make this a non-starter for Tomlin, especially without the big-play prowess that Wilson offers.

7. Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young has shown more than enough in recent weeks to restore faith in his standing as Carolina’s QB1 moving into next season. Still, Andy Dalton is a free agent, and having a starting-capable veteran backup is probably a must for Dave Canales’ staff. But it’s hard to say that Cousins is even a desirable contingency plan for a team like the Panthers at this point.

8. New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr’s fractured left hand left many to wonder whether the veteran quarterback has played his last snap in New Orleans. Should the Saints move on, however, handing the keys to Spencer Rattler would be a highly preferable move to bringing in an even older quarterback in decline.

9. Las Vegas Raiders

With a high likelihood of landing a top-two pick, a franchise that has been treading water the last two years with Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II can finally make a splash with a young quarterback. The Raiders should be prepared to endure the lows that come with playing a rookie, so there’s little justification to bring on someone like Cousins unless it’s purely in a mentor capacity.

10. San Francisco 49ers

It’s entirely reasonable to expect Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch to pursue some substantial changes this offseason following a massive letdown from last season’s Super Bowl run. Pivoting from Brock Purdy shouldn’t be one of them. The team has given every indication it is still preparing itself to hand over a potentially record-breaking extension, and the notion that the team would shift those plans merely to pursue a Shanahan reunion with Cousins seems extremely far-fetched.

On Monday, Georgia’s gymnastics program announced on X (formerly Twitter) that one of the world’s greatest Olympic athletes will be in attendance for its first home meet on Jan. 17, 2025, against Boise State.

Biles’ Team USA gymnastics coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi is entering her first season as the Bulldogs’ co-head coach.

Biles’ trip to Athens will be her second visit to the state of Georgia in the last few months, as she and her fellow Team USA gymnasts performed at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia on Oct. 13 as part of the Gold Over America Tour.

Biles is coming off a historic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won four medals (three gold) to become the most decorated Olympic gymnast. Her three gold medals came in the team final, individula all-around final andthe individual vault final. She hasn’t made any decision on whether she will compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics yet according to USA Today’s Nancy Armour.

Georgia’s first meet of the season will come at the Denver Quad Meet on Sunday, Jan. 12 against Denver, Missouri and LIU. The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-12 season last year, where they made it to the NCAA Regionals.

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One of the most fundamental principles in American sports — Saturdays in the fall are for college football, while Sundays are for the NFL — did not happen by accident.

In fact it was written into a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Kennedy in 1961. The primary purpose of the law was to grant professional sports leagues an antitrust exemption for negotiating television rights collectively and distributing the money equally, which was no small feat during an era when anything that hinted at communism was bad politics. 

A key part of the deal was that the NFL would lose antitrust protections if it broadcast any games from 6 p.m. on Friday nights until Sunday that were being played within 75 miles of a high school or college game. In effect, that meant Saturday was legally protected as college football’s day. 

But 63 years on, there’s a catch: Restrictions on the NFL are only valid through the second Saturday in December. Back then, that made a lot of sense because the college season was already over, save for the New Year’s bowl games.

These days, though — and especially this year — it has put college and the NFL into direct competition. And the result of that conflict will undoubtedly suck up a lot of attention next week as we analyze the first set of games from the expanded College Football Playoff. 

As sports viewers and fans, Saturday is going to be a bonanza unlike anything we’ve ever seen. At noon Eastern, things kick off with SMU at Penn State followed by Clemson at Texas and then the primetime game at 8 p.m. with Tennessee playing at Ohio State in temperatures projected to be in the teens. 

It projects to be one of the great days in the history of college football. 

ON THE MOVE: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal

And it’s also, to some degree, going to be overshadowed by the fact that the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs will be kicking off at some point in the second quarter of the SMU-Penn State game. The Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens clash will mostly be running concurrently with Clemson-Texas. 

“Obviously its a big issue, and it was really discussed at length,” recently retired American Athletic Conference commissioner and former sports television executive Mike Aresco told USA TODAY Sports. “No one liked it, believe me.”

Reality check: As amazing and unique as it will be for fans to finally see playoff football in iconic places like Happy Valley and Austin and the Horseshoe, the NFL would be a two-touchdown favorite to win the ratings battle on Saturday. 

It’s easy to see why. A year ago, the Week 16 games on Saturday drew 14.3 million viewers on NBC for Pittsburgh-Cincinnati and 7.3 million for Bills-Chargers, which was shown exclusively on Peacock. The NFL matchups this year are even more attractive, as all four teams are likely playoff-bound and both games will be shown on over-the-air networks. 

As football fanatics with access to split screens and multiple devices, it’s heaven. But such a stark, one-on-one comparison to King NFL is probably going to highlight the biggest potential issue with the expanded CFP. 

By adding more teams, more rounds and extending the season all the way until Jan. 20 for the championship game, college football is trying to grab a piece of real estate the NFL has already claimed. And that presents a whole bunch of existential issues that could shape how the playoff looks in the future as the sport’s leaders try to figure out what works best to put their sport in the spotlight. 

“Everybody will be looking closely to see how the ratings look,” Aresco said. “I think at some point it’s just tough to get in there without having that overlap. It’s going to be very interesting. There’s just limited flexibility where you can put these games if you want to maintain (competitive) equity and not have games spread out during the week where someone will have the rest advantage for the next round.” 

Had college football embraced a real playoff a couple decades ago when it became clear there was an appetite for something besides the Bowl Championship Series, it might have had a chance to put down roots on these Saturdays in December, even if they aren’t protected by law.

Instead, the NFL has filled that void — and rightfully so. From mid-December on, Saturday is their day. College football, and its partners at ESPN/ABC and TNT, are the ones trying to shave off a piece of their audience. It’s going to be great for college football fans, but the reality is that the games will need to deliver to break through when they’re running up against the most bankable ratings monster in sports. 

That’s not easy. Even the NBA, which used to own Christmas Day, has struggled to reproduce its ratings in that time slot since the NFL planted its flag there beginning in 2020.

“They take territory,” Aresco said. “They’re not shy about that.” 

The direct conflict college football finds itself in now is a continuation of the unavoidable, but mostly self-inflicted scheduling issues that have plagued the CFP from the beginning. 

In the College Football Playoff’s first 10 years, ratings were generally good when the semifinals took place on New Year’s Day and not nearly as good when they’ve been on other days. That was no surprise to anyone, except for the people who created the CFP with expectations that they were going to “change the paradigm of New Year’s Eve in this country” in the words of former director Bill Hancock. 

What really happened is that college football learned it doesn’t have the power to shape viewing behavior on that level. In other words, it’s not the NFL.

With bowl and television contracts expiring in 2026, the playoff will have more flexibility and power to demand that its quarterfinal games primarily take place on Jan. 1. This year will feature a New Year’s Day triple header with one game kicking off at 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. That’s more traditional territory where college football can dominate. 

But the semifinals this year will be on Jan. 9 and 10 — a Thursday and Friday night. Why? Because playing the games on Saturday would mean an incursion into the NFL’s wild card weekend. And when the CFP concludes on Jan. 20, it will be the day after the NFL’s conference championship matchups are set. 

This is a problem that may not have a solution. It may not even be a problem at all. Regardless of which product you prefer, college football should never have to apologize for not being as popular or matching the NFL’s TV ratings, and unless you’re an executive at ABC/ESPN, it’s unclear why you should care. 

We live in a culture, though, that frames these metrics almost like a Rorschach test. If you are inclined to watch the NBA most nights and believe that the crop of players are the most talented overall that the league has ever seen, you’re likely to dismiss or excuse the recent headline that ESPN’s ratings were down 28% through the first 18 games broadcast this year on the network. If you’re inclined to dislike the NBA, it’s a told-you-so opportunity to blame the style of play, wokeism or the prevalence of non-American stars. 

If college football gets crushed in this weekend’s ratings wars, it won’t mean that expanding the CFP was a mistake or that the selection committee picked the wrong teams. 

It will mean leaders of the enterprise need to put a lot of care and thought into the best way they can optimize the playoff while trying to avoid the appearance of being a second-class citizen. 

It won’t be easy. In the first 10 years of the CFP, it was a challenge to stay in the headlines for those 10 days or so between the semifinals and championship game. That only gets more difficult once you push the season further and further into a month typically dominated by the NFL playoffs. 

In an ideal world, college football would end on New Year’s Day like it did for decades. But unless conference commissioners are willing to shorten the regular season (no chance), move the season’s start date a couple weeks earlier (highly unlikely) or eliminate conference championship games (tough sell), the CFP is going to spend most of its time fighting for oxygen with the NFL’s crescendo toward the Super Bowl. 

That’s a tough, tough battle. And after this weekend, we’re going to get the first data set on whether college football is going to pay a price. 

Let’s look at this thing strictly from a status standpoint, eliminating all the other inconsequential noise.

It’s not that difficult to see disaster.

North Carolina hired a legendary former NFL coach, whose resume came into question once he no longer had the greatest player in the history of the sport playing quarterback for his team. 

Not long after that, the former legendary NFL coach – who won six Super Bowls with that greatest player ever – was fired by the franchise he coached to unthinkable success after a 29-38 record in his last four seasons without the greatest player ever. The legendary coach had complete control of personnel, and after he was fired, the remaining 31 teams in the NFL weren’t interested. 

So North Carolina, desperate to find its footing in an ever-changing collegiate sports environment where football is king and its beloved basketball has devolved into a five-week gambling bender, decides to hire Bill Belichick (see: former legendary NFL coach) as its new football coach.

I ask you, what in the world makes sense here?

Wait, it gets better.

After North Carolina chancellor Lee Roberts steered this Hail Mary of a quick fix and promised tens of millions in NIL money to kickstart change – in addition to a large portion of the revenue sharing pool of $20.5 million beginning in 2025 – Belichick hired former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi to do the same job in Chapel Hill. 

The last time Lombardi was a general manager was 2013 with the Cleveland Browns.

Roberts proclaimed he wanted to make football the top priority at the university, and wanted to compete at the highest level. So he hired a former NFL coach who has never coached in the college game, who hired a general manager whose only college experience was recruiting coordinator at UNLV. 

In 1984. 

I don’t want to get all preachy, but the two most important positions in the ever-changing world of college football are coach and general manager. Both are delicate positions of equal parts authority, development, parental guidance and cheerleader.

Nothing screams “cheerleader” quite like Bill Belichick. 

“I’ve always wanted to coach college football, and it just never really worked out,” Belichick said at his introductory press conference. “Had some good years in the NFL, so that was okay, but this is really kind of a dream come true.”

Somehow, someway, when North Carolina finally decided it was ready to get serious about football, it decided to ignore the empirical evidence staring it in the face. Look at the current College Football Playoff, and see the future of the sport dominated by first-time head coaches.

It took two seasons for Kenny Dillingham to take one of the worst Power Four conference programs in college football (saddled with NCAA probation) and turn it into Big 12 champions. Arizona State not only advanced to the playoff, it earned a first-round bye. 

It took Spencer Danielson less than a year to take a rudderless Boise State program and win two Mountain West Conference championships — the second leading to a first-round bye in the CFP. Danielson took over in the last month of 2023 when the Broncos had a 5-5 record and less than 10 percent chance of winning the MWC, and has won 15 of 17 games since.

Then there’s Dan Lanning of Oregon and Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, two of the hottest coaches in the sport. Both never had a head coaching job prior to their current gigs.

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee? Never been a head coach prior to arriving in Dallas in 2022.

That’s five first-year coaches in the CFP, and if you really want to get technical, Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Kirby Smart (Georgia) and Ryan Day (Ohio State) had never been head coaches before accepting their current jobs. 

Let’s be very clear here: this isn’t about age, it’s about knowledge of the inner workings of the specific level of the sport. No question Belichick, 72, is a coaching giant, even with the shadow of Tom Brady skulking behind his every move. 

But Belichick made his bones coaching grown men in a professional environment where he, for the most part, had control. While we can argue that college football looks more like the NFL with each passing season of change, you can’t dispute the distinct difference between the two levels of football. 

As crazy as this sounds, college football players have more control than NFL players, who have a collectively bargained agreement protecting their every move. There is no agreement of any sort in college football.

From paying players who haven’t proven anything at the collegiate level, to the 20-hour contact limit with players, to academics (you know, the whole higher education thing), to NIL deals and – this is a biggie for Belichick and Lombardi – free player movement, this is all virgin territory. The man who has never coached college football in any capacity has been entrusted with turning North Carolina football from a fun diversion until basketball season, to a legitimate national power.

Those who can manage the process, and massage the egos, are those who win big. Those who can’t are forced out and given tens of millions in walkaway money.

It’s not that difficult to see where this is headed. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

Caitlin Clark, one of the most important women’s basketball players in recent memory, will have her jersey hung up forever at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

‘I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,’ Clark said in the announcement. ‘It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I’ve admired for so long.’

Clark is the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most prolific players and shooters in the sport’s history. She averaged 31.6 points with 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game as a senior in 2023-24, also shooting 37.8% from 3-point range on a whopping 13.6 attempts per game on average.

Clark, and others, have played a major role in growing women’s basketball, which has seen a huge uptick in popularity in recent years. Clark and Iowa made the national championship game in 2023 and 2024, but lost to LSU and South Carolina, respectively.

The two-time unanimous national player of the year is also the all-time leading scorer for all of college basketball, including men’s and women’s sides. She passed LSU legend Pete Maravich and Washington standout Kelsey Plum as a senior.

Clark was also recently named the 2024 Time Athlete of the Year, which represents her excellence and impact on the game.

‘Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,’ Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said. ‘Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball. Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments.’

Clark will become the third player to have their number retired at Iowa, joining Megan Gustafson (No. 10) and Michelle Edwards (No. 30).

Clark will be in attendance for the game, when the Hawkeyes take on USC at 1:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 2.

The Chicago White Sox’s home is getting a new name for 2025, something of a fresh start for a team coming off the worst season in Major League Baseball history.

Formerly known as Guaranteed Rate Field, the ballpark will follow the financial company’s recent rebranding and now will be named Rate Field.

The sponsorship began in 2016 with a 13-year naming rights deal for the ballpark on Chicago’s South Side.

The stadium opened in 1991 as Comiskey Park II and then went by U.S. Cellular Field from 2003-16. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has proposed a new stadium for the team and wants $1 billion from the state of Illinois but Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ‘really reluctant’ to commit state money to a stadium and has thrown cold water on the notion.

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Reinsdorf met with Nashville’s mayor in 2023 and hinted at relocation. During the 1980s, Reinsdorf used the threat of the team leaving Chicago (for St. Petersburg, Florida) to secure the funds for the present-day ballpark.

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The first 12-team College Football Playoff is at hand. Four first-round matchups will take place on campus with one set for Friday night and three set for Saturday.

While history will be made on the field, two of the games on Saturday will go directly against NFL broadcasts, which could create ratings that disappoint and create discussion about the future college football calendar. The games are also being amid massive player movement in the transfer portal that is impacting some teams in the playoff field.

As for the games themselves, Notre Dame will host Indiana in the opener on Friday followed on Saturday by SMU at Penn State, Clemson traveling to Texas and Ohio State being visited by Tennessee. Will there be any upsets or will the home teams prevail in these first postseason games on campus?

Moving back to off the field business, Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, and we’ve seen several coaching changes in the past week. Among the notable new hires are Dan Mullen moving to UNLV and Michael Vick taking the job to Norfolk State. How does Vick’s hire impact Virginia Tech?

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.

ON THE MOVE: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal

FINEST HOUR?: Ohio State could make history or face possible disaster

NEW HIRES: Where does Bill Belichick land among the new coaches?

POSTSEASON LINEUP: Complete schedule for the playoff and bowl games