The Kirk Cousins saga continues for the Falcons, with the veteran quarterback spilling the beans about his injured shoulder and elbow. This certainly complicates matters, but Adam Schefter still believes that Atlanta will eventually release him.
“This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver decided ultimately to move on from him, when it said it wouldn’t necessarily do that,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said. “They released him, he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh, and that’s how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold with the Falcons releasing Cousins right around the start of the new league year.”
Schefter did note that the Falcons have been “adamant that they’re open to keeping him as the backup quarterback,” but the NFL insider is essentially doubling down on an earlier report. Schefter did report on Dec. 21 that Atlanta is expected to release Cousins before his $10 million roster bonus for the 2026 season becomes due on March 17.
“Kirk Cousins’ divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the league fully expecting Atlanta to have to release him by then.
The split between Cousins and the Falcons is inevitable at this point, according to multiple sources.”
Josh Kendall, Atlanta’s beat reporter for The Athletic, did mention the possibility of the Falcons keeping Cousins around, but this seems to be the two sides posturing through the media because there were earlier reports from James Palmer of Bleacher Report that the Falcons believe Cousins cannot physically play the quarterback position anymore and that his career might be over.
“If you talk to anybody in Atlanta, they will tell you he has just fallen off a cliff, which does happen to some older quarterbacks,” Palmer said. “They believe he can’t play the position physically anymore. He just couldn’t play it physically any more in the eyes of the Falcons. That bled into some issues in the way he played the position mentally as well… It led into a position where they believed he was unplayable.”
Through 14 games, Kirk Cousins threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career-high 16 interceptions before being benched. I would be shocked if the Falcons decided to keep Cousins on the roster.
—
Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.