Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will moonlight on CBS Sports’ coverage of the NFL playoffs after the club lured network analyst Matt Ryan to its front office.
Cousins replaced Michael Penix Jr. under center after the Falcons starter went down with a torn ACL in his left knee during the 2025 season. Atlanta responded on offense, winning five of its last seven games and nearly reaching the NFC playoffs.
But, with the Falcons missing the postseason for an eighth consecutive year, Cousins does has some free time in the coming weeks. And with Ryan leaving CBS to become Falcons president, the network was in need of a studio analyst.
Besides, Ryan has his hands full in Atlanta, where he’s aiming to replace fired head coach Raheem Morris after coming over from CBS Sports.Â
Thus far, the former Falcons quarterback has interviewed ex-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, fired Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski, who was recently fired in Cleveland.
‘To the Falcons fans, my mission since I was drafted has never changed,’ Ryan, the long-time Falcons quarterback, said Tuesday at his first press conference as team president. ‘It is to help this organization do everything it can to be champions and to win championships.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (right) will moonlight on CBS Sports’ coverage of the NFL playoffs after the club lured network analyst Matt Ryan to its front office
Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan speaks during a news conference as the new team president of football, along owner Arthur Blank, the billionaire founder of Home DepotÂ
‘And there is a sense of unfinished business.’
As for Cousins’ long-term future, the 37-year-old may very well end up in the booth as he’s known for being media friendly and did previous stints on television, according to Yahoo! Sports.
But before he picks up a microphone full-time, Cousins still has two seasons and a around $115 million in base salary, bonuses and incentives heading his way. Only about $67.5 million of that total is guaranteed.Â
The team seems committed to Penix, who was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft shortly after Atlanta signed the free agent Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal.
Interestingly, that massive contract was restructured recently, giving the Falcons a chance to waive Cousins in early March and spread his remaining guaranteed salary over the 2026 and 2027 seasons, thereby offering themselves some salary-cap relief.
Cousins, meanwhile, hopes to continue playing and even remaining in Atlanta after throwing 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025.
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Atlanta Falcons’ $180m quarterback Kirk Cousins lands new CBS Sports gig for the NFL playoffs