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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins throwing a pass during an NFL game against the New York Jets.
The New York Jets will get their shot.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed on social media that the Atlanta Falcons are expected to release veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins ” before the start of the new league year in March, allowing him to choose where or if he wants to play in 2026, per league sources.”
Insider Connects Jets to Cousins
ESPN’s Rich Cimini joined me on “Boy Green Daily” on Friday, February 6.
During our conversation, he told me that Cousins is a name to watch for the Jets.
“I think a guy like Kirk Cousins, he fits the description as well. I think there is a good chance that he shakes free from Atlanta. Certainly a bigger pocket style quarterback to look at,” Cimini told me on the podcast.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told me that #Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is a name to watch for the #Jets.
He told me that Cousins fits what new OC Frank Reich looks for in a quarterback.
ESPN #NFL Insider @AdamSchefter reported that Cousins is ‘expected to be released before the start of
“The important thing for people to know in this whole Frank Reich situation: he is going to have a tremendous amount of input into the staff on offense and personnel. When they make these quarterback decisions, it’s going to be with a lot of input from Frank Reich. I think that is one of the things that appealed to Frank about this situation. So essentially, he is going to be kind of the head coach of the offense,” Cimini explained to me.
“He likes taller [and] bigger type more traditional dropback passers,” Cimini added.
NFC Team Is Lurking in the Cousins Sweepstakes
The good news is that if Cousins gets cut, the Jets will have their chance to woo him to New York. The bad news is, so will everyone else in the league.
One of those teams that could enter the chat is the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL Insider Dianna Russini spoke with a league source who “speculated that Cousins could be an option there, given his history with Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota’s desire to bring in competition for young J.J. McCarthy.”
The Devil Is in the Details
Cousins, 37, will turn 38 before the start of the 2026 season.
He entered the league as the No. 102 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft.
During his 14-year NFL career, Cousins has suited up for three teams. The veteran passer has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, and he led the league in completion percentage back in 2015.
Most recently, Cousins has spent the past two seasons in Atlanta. He has appeared in 24 games and has made 22 starts. With those opportunities, Cousins has completed 65% of his passes, has thrown for 5,229 passing yards, and has a 28 touchdown to 21 interception ratio.
Special Relationship That Is Worth Noting
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic called Cousins a “logical target” for the Jets.
“Reich and Cousins have struck up a friendship together off the field, tied to their faith. Jets senior football advisor Rick Spielman also brought Cousins to the Vikings back in 2018,” Rosenblatt wrote.
Rosenblatt recently explained on social media that Reich and Cousins have never officially worked together. However, the friendship has grown over the years.
If the Jets pursue Cousins, it wouldn’t be the first time. Back during the 2018 offseason, the Jets made an aggressive all-in pitch to secure his services. They failed in their pursuit, and Cousins ended up in Minnesota.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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