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Once the new league year begins on March 11, Kirk Cousins will no longer be part of the Atlanta Falcons, designated as a post-June 1 release.
Cousins’ release comes just two years after signing a four-year, $180 million deal in 2024.
What the future holds for either side is uncertain, as the Falcons don’t have a definitive answer at quarterback entering Week 1, with Michael Penix Jr. possibly still recovering from knee surgery.
As for Cousins, at 37 years old and coming off the toughest stretch of his career in Atlanta, teams won’t be nearly as eager to pursue him like they were in years past — especially when it comes to offering another long-term, big-money deal.
But at this stage of his career, that may not be what Cousins is seeking anyway.
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Kirk Cousins Looking for Commitment in Next Stop
When Cousins signed with the Falcons during the 2024 offseason, he believed he was set to finish his career in Atlanta. Shortly after, however, the team drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round at No. 8 overall.
From that point forward, stability at the quarterback position never truly existed. Cousins always seemed to be looking over his shoulder.
And ultimately, he had reason to.
He was benched midway through that season in favor of Penix, though his play at the time justified the move. Then head coach Raheem Morris named Penix the starter heading into 2025 after just three starts, without holding a real quarterback competition during the offseason.
Cousins is now expected to take a different approach to his next potential landing spot, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“The run Cousins got at the end of last year, after Michael Penix Jr. was injured, rekindled his love of football after a rough three-year stretch,” Breer wrote. “He came out of it wanting the challenge of leading a team again, but also hardened a bit by everything that preceded it, from the torn Achilles in 2023 to the ’24 offseason fiasco to his benching later that year, and Atlanta’s decision to hang on to him for ’25.
“So while he wants to find a new home where he can play football again, he’s also leery of how quickly things can change. Along those lines, it sounds like Cousins will be looking for a commitment from a team. Not the kind he’d get earlier in his career. He knows that’s not coming. However, what he’d like now is something that shows that the team signing him sees him as the team’s starter.”
Kirk Cousins Wants to Be a Starter
Even with the reworked contract, the Falcons still owe Cousins a guaranteed $10 million signing bonus. They’ll also take on $35 million in dead cap over the next two seasons.
Breer believes Cousins may actually seek more than just that guaranteed $10 million from his next team — not necessarily because he needs the money, but because of what it represents.
“That’s why I think he’d rather not play on the minimum and leave the Falcons with the rest of his guaranteed money for this fall,” Breer continued. “His number, by the way, is lower than that of the other three quarterbacks at $10 million. So it’s not like it’d take $30 million to get a contract done. And by getting, say, even $12 million or $14 million from a new team, it’d show that team was planning to give him a go as its starter.”
Despite knowing Cousins and the Falcons are headed in different directions, where the veteran quarterback ultimately lands will remain one of the top storylines of the offseason.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
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