The Falcons’ offseason is going to be dominated by Kirk Cousins, the highest-paid backup quarterback of all time (don’t fact-check me).
After giving the 36-year-old $100 million in guaranteed money this past offseason, the Falcons will have to move on from Cousins just a calendar year later, even if The Athletic’s Josh Kendall reported the Falcons are floating the idea that they could keep Cousins.
“Behind the scenes, team officials have floated the idea that Cousins could be the Falcons’ backup throughout next season because Penix’s rookie salary ($5.2 million in 2025) gives the team flexibility to keep Cousins’ $40 million cap hit on the books,” the Falcons beat writer said.
While insider James Palmer reported that the Falcons believe Cousins cannot physically play quarterback anymore.
“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.”
There’s a lot of smoke going around, but the most likely scenario remains Cousins being cut by the Falcons, according to a report from Adam Schefter, which will lead to a Russell Wilson-esque deal for Cousins and a lucky organization. Albert Breer believes the veteran is a “very viable option” for the Cleveland Browns.
“He was with Kevin Stefanski for two years in Minnesota, with Stefanski as his position coach in 2018 and his coordinator in ’19. Cousins would also likely come in, like Russell Wilson did in Pittsburgh, on the veteran minimum, with the Atlanta Falcons paying the freight and the Browns simply paying an offset. And, yes, he’ll be 37 in August, but he’ll also be another year removed from his Achilles injury with something to prove.”
Regardless of what happens, the Falcons already have an egg on their face. They will pay Kirk Cousins $100 million to play 14 games, which is up there with the worst contracts in NFL history. The only thing that could make it sting more is if Cousins goes on to have success with his next team while the Falcons are still paying him.
—
Photographer: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.