Kirk Cousins‘ days of maneuvering his way into windfall contracts are almost definitely over, as the Falcons came to regret the deal they authorized in March. Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins late in the season, leading to rumors of the veteran quarterback contemplating retirement.
The deliberation looks to have produced an answer. Cousins is aiming to continue his career next season, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes. This effort will, of course, be centered around landing with a fourth NFL team. The Falcons are expected to release the longtime starter, a move that will come sign significant dead money.
Atlanta guaranteed Cousins $90MM at signing, which will make a release painful. A 2025 cut will carry a $65MM dead money hit, one that will undoubtedly be spread out over two offseasons via a post-June 1 designation. The Cousins release, even in a world in which the Jets cut Aaron Rodgers, would rank second in NFL history for dead money (behind the Broncos’ Russell Wilson cut). If/once Atlanta designates Cousins a post-June 1 release at the start of the 2025 league year, a $40MM 2025 cap hit would hit the books. As Penix will have a full offseason to prep as the Falcons’ starter, his short-lived mentor will look elsewhere.
The Falcons had long planned to use Cousins as their starter for two seasons, but their top-10 Penix investment interfered with that reality from the start. As it turned out, the team pulled the trigger late in Year 1. Penix will enter the offseason as Atlanta’s unquestioned starter.
Cousins’ concerning 2024 form will drastically alter his market, though a degree of interest should still emerge. This may not be a good year to need a quarterback. The 2025 QB draft class is not viewed as a group on the level of the past two crops, and the Vikings could take Sam Darnold off the market via the franchise tag. The likes of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Daniel Jones would move up the free agency board in that event. Rodgers has not decided on playing in 2025; that will also be a variable that affects Cousins. The Steelers’ late-season swoon also stands to affect Wilson’s market, as the 36-year-old may not be too far north of where Cousins checks in financially come March.
The supply-and-demand issue at QB should still generate interest in Cousins, who turned 36 just before this season. Teams who will find themselves unable to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will need to look into bridge options. Cousins carried strong enough value in 2024 he was seemingly able to avoid a bridge scenario — or, so he believed at the time of signing — but nothing in the realm of a four-year, $180MM contract is coming. It will, then, be interesting to see what kind of numbers the 10-year NFL starter commands.
Cousins led the NFL with 16 interceptions, despite being benched after 14 games. He did elevate the Falcons’ passing attack compared to where it was with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, helping the team to seven wins while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Now being nearly 18 months removed from the October 2023 Achilles tear also would stand to help the immobile vet, but his 2024 form will still factor prominently into his market.
There are many worse options this offseason than a ticked off Cousins on a discounted contract another year removed from his injury.
Come sign with his old buddy stefanski in Cleveland
Then the browns trade down a few spots and draft a left tackle
Savvy business man.
Make calls to titans
Of coarse he does. He isn’t missing out on one dollar!!!!!
This guy hasn’t won jack crap , but has sucked every last damn dollar he could along the way.
Stat sheet filling , money grubbing , selfish no show in big time games.
Bring on the noise Chainz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But does any NFL team want him.
OR
Will he just sit back, count his already banked millions
And let the Falcons pay him to just sit.
At some point, isn’t there a point when more money isn’t needed?
I think most of us knew at the time that it was a horrible contract. Especially when you’re gonna turn around and reach for Penix in the draft. The ATL front office is embarrassingly inept. At the very least, they coulda traded back and still drafted Penix, but either way, why sign Cousins to that ridiculous contract two months before you draft your “franchise” QB. They had to at least have a draft plan before signing Cousins, right? They must of known they liked Penix enough to take him that early in the 1st round.
I believe it costs an extra $10 million for Atlanta to keep Cousins rather than release him. At that price, they might as well keep him as a backup and force Kirk to waive his no-trade if he wants to start somewhere else.
Absolutely. If you have to pay him anyway, just sit Cousins. Let’s see if Kirky wants to play enough to agree to a settlement, let’s see what playoff team suffers an injury at QB and is willing to both pick up the tab and send over a day 3 pick.
Atlanta should play hard ball with this roach.
I have long been stating this. It will cost nearly $10m to bring in a somewhat functional backup anyway, might as well keep Kirk around.
I believe the same as Alec in that they might get more for him mid-year if someone elses starter gets hurt, meanwhile, if Krik is willing to mentor some more you have the best backup in football from a playing and mentoring aspect.