Kirk Cousins‘ stint in Atlanta will likely last one season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there’s an expectation that the Falcons will cut the veteran quarterback before he’s owed his $10MM roster bonus in mid-March. Some sources described the impending divorce as “inevitable.”
[RELATED: Falcons To Bench Kirk Cousins, Start Michael Penix In Week 16]
The Falcons made one of the biggest moves of this past offseason when they inked the free agent QB to a four-year, $180MM deal. A month later, the organization shocked the league when they added another quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick. Cousins was naturally given the first shot to run with the job, but he’s struggled mightily over the past month-plus. Since Week 10, Cousins has tossed only one touchdown vs. nine interceptions, and the team finally announced that they were pivoting to their rookie for Week 16.
By shifting Penix to the top of the depth chart, the Falcons signaled that Cousins probably wouldn’t be on the roster for the 2025 campaign. While cutting the veteran isn’t the team’s only option, it seems like the most likely. As Schefter notes, there’s a belief that the Falcons wouldn’t be able to find a trade suitor for their recent acquisition.
Cousins has a no-trade clause, and assuming he’s not particularly happy with how things have played out in Atlanta, it’s understood that the QB won’t “be doing any favors” for the Falcons by waiving that NTC. Indeed, some sources believe Cousins may have been more willing to work with the Falcons front office on a trade had the organization handled things differently this past offseason (per Schefter). Cousins reportedly had no idea that the Falcons would use the eighth-overall pick on a QB until they called Cousins on draft night, and while the free agent prize has remained professional, his camp clearly wasn’t happy with the team’s draft-night approach.
Cousins will be locked into his fully guaranteed 2025 $27.5MM salary regardless of his roster status in Atlanta. So, when he’s eventually released, he can catch on with another squad for the minimum (while making the Falcons pick up most of the tab on his 2025 earnings). We saw a similar scenario play out last offseason with Russell Wilson. Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes that the Falcons could attempt to convert some of his salary into a bonus, making a trade more palatable. Still, that route would require Cousins to work with the Falcons, and even then, it’s uncertain if a suitor would emerge despite a lower hypothetical financial commitment.
The Falcons could also simply keep Cousins on the roster for the 2025 campaign. As a Falcons official noted to Schefter, Penix’s $5.2MM salary number for the 2025 campaign does provide the front office with some flexibility. However, considering how things have developed with the veteran, it seems unlikely that the Falcons would willingly set up a QB competition.
If the Falcons are hoping to avoid that $10MM guarantee, Auman believes the organization probably won’t dress Cousins for the stretch run as they look to avoid an injury. So, in all likelihood, Cousins has already made his final appearance with the Falcons organization. As ESPN’s Field Yates notes, the veteran will ultimately earn nearly $90M in cash for just 14 starts. In his comeback from a torn Achilles, Cousins connected on 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a league-leading 16 interceptions.
Despite the worrisome drop in production, Cousins will likely be one of the biggest names on the free agent market for a second-straight offseason. With the likes of Sam Darnold and Wilson currently sitting atop the anticipated QB class, Cousins shouldn’t struggled to find a suitor…especially when you consider that his next squad won’t have to break the bank to sign him to a one-year pact.
Well….as Don Shula once said….always go first class….Falcons didn’t do that here….smh
Nothing against Penix, but if he’s average, then the Falcons will be the laughing stock of the league for years to come.
The Bears, Jets, and Raiders will keep the heat off them.
Don’t forget my Giants.
Even though he would be playing for his “new 25-26 team” for PEANUTS, Kirk and his agent will indeed “struggled” to find a suitor based upon his past track record. Face it, Kirk just does not have the “IT” factor necessary to elevate the play of the team surrounding him and lead the 53 to the promised land.
Ehhh, maybe not on his own (especially if this recent and sudden faceplant is a sign of things to come), but lesser quarterbacks have definitely gotten further. Cousins might not be enough to compensate for a truly bad team, but he’s enough to take a decent or even average team far if he can play at his normal level.
If that Minnesota squad from two years ago had, say, the 15th ranked defense instead of the 31st, I’d say that they could have done some damage in the playoffs.
AK, I think you’re right. The one thing about him is he’s been paid like the kind of QB that is expected to be elite since 2018.
In no way do I begrudge him for that. The owners wouldn’t pay it if they couldn’t afford it. He has very good representation.
The question is whether he ever recovers from that Achilles injury. His arm has gone dead. If he can’t get the ball downfield on time anymore (a la Peyton and Ryan), he’s done.
Also Big Ben, Pennington …
I don’t think that either of you are wrong, at all. Those are valid points.
By the way, inkstainedscribe, I’ve always loved your screen name. It’s awesome.
Yikes. What a mess. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Cousins is better next year when he’s another year removed from the injury.
Imagine if they’d used that Pennix pick to fortify the OL or WR positions? Same issue Rogers had when they picked Love instead of giving him another offensive weapon.
In fairness, I don’t think offensive personnel is really their issue. Taking the edge rusher they’ve needed forever was a bigger miss. They could have traded down and still gotten any defensive player in the draft. They could sure use Verse about now. If Pennix works out great, it’s a win, but this is messier than the Love move, given that they just signed Cousins. What a bizarre offseason.
Ooofa…that’s going to be a 40 million dead hit next season and a 25 million dead hit for 2026 as a post June 1st cut.
Plus, they paid $100 million for less than a season of garbage QB play. Falcons gunna Falcons….
The GM who signed him to ask that money should be fired and never work in this business again. Same with the Giants GM.
Browns on line 1
Why not sign Jacoby, Darnold, or some other vet to a 1 year deal if they were going to draft a QB in the first? Terrible management.
Was there a guarantee they could’ve got Penix? If they passed on Kirk and telegraphed they were getting a QB who’s to say someone like LV wouldn’t have jumped in front of them in the draft, and then they don’t have Penix nor Kirk and we still would be saying terrible management. It goes both ways….Free agency after the Draft is the best possible scenario to avoid this but players would never agree to it. Give me 2 QBs that are good and a bunch of naysayers vs. no QBs all day long.
Darnold was signed for $12m, Kirk will get $90m from the Falcons. That’s a pure waste of $78m and cap space for 2 years for 15 games.
In the draft, the first 6 picks were off the board. #7 was Tenn that was going to test drive Levi because they traded up for him in the previous draft. Next up was Atlanta. No one leaped up or attempted to for Penix. An older, injured QB.
You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run!
I know this won’t happen, but doesn’t this seem like exactly the kind of player the Colts would sign? Aging, former top ten quarterback in the mold of Rivers, Ryan, etc.
In all seriousness, he could be a cheap backup plan in case Richardson continues to struggle
My guess is he won’t settle for backup, not when the Raiders, Giants and Saints may all be looking for at least a bridge QB
No Experience Needed, No Boss Over il Your FD Shoulder… Say Goodbye To Your Old Job! Limited Number Of Spots Open…………………….. incomeriches.blogspot..dk
Raiders should sign him for minimum and try to be less of a joke.
Or browns if they finally bench or release Watson.
Or the Jets if his Madden rating doesn’t tank
Cleveland can’t afford to release him based on the cap hit. Chances are he’ll be inactive in 2025 and living in South Beach, cashing all those Browns’ paychecks.
I think he’ll probably end up in Cleveland as a replacement for Watson
Titans make sense as a landing spot for Cousins
Will Levis experiment is probably over
They’re not taking a QB first round this year and could land an elite receiver to pair with Ridley in McMillan. Have an intriguing TE in Oronkowo they refuse to use.
If ANY consideration was being given to taking a QB at #8, the Falcons should have put the Cousins signing on the back burner until AFTER THE DRAFT. At Kirk’s asking price, him coming off a substantioal injury, coupled with Atlanta being Kirk’s wife’s home town he would have waited till after the draft.
Meanwhile, at #8, QB options of Penix, McCarthy, Nix were still on the board.
Not only were they there for Atlanta to consider drafting, but ALSO presenting the opportuninty to trade down, adding more picks/talent; even if that meant trading back up again to get one of the 3 referred to above.
Seems as though there was some ownership meddling going on which overrode GM decision making, both on the signing of Cousins and the drafting of Penix. That organizational tug of war should have been resolved and settled one way or another well before the signing of free agents and the 2024 NFL draft.
COULD A, WOULD A, SHOULD A
The Jets are in the market for another over the hill, overpriced QB aren’t they?