Kirk Cousins joins President Trump for Oval Office photo op
Atlanta Falcons star Kirk Cousins did not have the best campaign in 2024. He not only struggled to make an impact in his debut year with his new team but was also benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., who has been earmarked as the franchise's future. This left the veteran quarterback's future in limbo.
While he waits patiently to learn his fate, which isn't looking too bright, he did have a moment of joy this offseason. The 36-year-old was invited to the White House to meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The duo posed for a photo, which Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor Margo Martin posted on her X account on Friday with the caption:
"#18 [handshake] #47"
The 18 in the caption is a reference to Kirk Cousins' jersey number, while Trump is the 47th President of the United States, explaining the latter half.
Cousins is the latest NFL player to visit the White House after Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker did so last week.
Kirk Cousins' long history with President Donald Trump
Kirk Cousins and President Donald Trump have known each other personally since 2017, when the quarterback was still playing for the Washington Commanders.
The duo played a round of golf together at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminister, New Jersey. However, the signal-caller downplayed it as a sign of him being a supporter and claimed it was a common courtesy. When asked about it in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2017, he said:
"Look, if it had been any president – far left, far right, middle – I was gonna go. That's the president of the United States. If any other former president would love to play golf, I'm open to it. Let me know."
Two years later, President Trump's entourage contacted Kirk Cousins' agent and asked him to tell the quarterback to call the Commander-in-Chief following his and the Minnesota Vikings' dominant 28-10 win over the New York Giants. Detailing what transpired, the signal-caller said in a press conference:
"My agent just texted me and said 'Hey, call this number. The White House reached out to me and just wanted you to call this number.' I said, 'Are you serious?' thinking it was a joke and I was going to call some prank number. He said, 'No, very.' So I just called him on the bus heading to the airport. I was just calling the White House and they said 'hold for the president.'"
Cousins said the call lasted 30 seconds, and the only thing the duo discussed was the Vikings' win and that Trump congratulated him on the triumph. He reiterated that it wasn't a sign of support and he would have called the number regardless of who the president was.