The conventional thinking around the NFL is that the Falcons will release QB Kirk Cousins to avoid another $10 million of his contract becoming guaranteed in 2026. Atlanta already is on the hook for $27.5 million in guarantees to Cousins this year.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says not every team official buys the Falcons will cut Cousins. ESPN’s Dan Graziano says he’s been told the Falcons aren’t factoring the additional $10 million into their timetable for hopefully trading Cousins.
Graziano still thinks the Falcons will cut Cousins. But Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes the Falcons are maintaining their willingness to keep Cousins as an expensive backup to 2024 first-round QB Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta has pointed out its 2025 quarterback budget is the same as it was last year when they thought Cousins would still be starting with Penix learning behind him. However, Volin thinks the Falcons could be trying to create leverage, either to drum up a trade market or to get Cousins to accept a pay cut.
Volin points out the Falcons could threaten Cousins with sitting on his contract all year and preventing him from pursuing opportunities for more playing time elsewhere.
Both Volin and ESPN note Cousins should have opportunities with other teams in search of a veteran quarterback this offseason, including the Browns and Giants.
Cousins, 36, is a former fourth-round pick of Washington back in 2012. He played out the final year of his rookie contract before being franchised in back-to-back seasons.
Cousins later departed in free agency for a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings. He was entering the final year of his contract in 2020 when he agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension. In 2021, he agreed to a new one-year, $35 million contract extension that was also fully guaranteed.
He was in the final year of that deal in 2023 and was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent when signing with the Falcons this offseason. He inked a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed.
In 2024, Cousins appeared in 14 games for the Falcons and completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
We’ll have more on Cousins as the news is available.
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