The Falcons are going to have a busy offseason building the team around their new franchise quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., but they’ll also have to make a decision on Kirk Cousins’ future.
Many believe the club will eventually part ways with the veteran, with most assuming it’ll come by way of an outright release because the Falcons will need Cousins to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade, which he has no incentive to do.
However, a new bit of information leads me to believe the Falcons could ultimately force Kirk Cousins’ hand this offseason, forcing him to either be Michael Penix Jr.’s backup or waive his no-trade clause.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported on Monday, “From what I understand, the Falcons are not just going to release him. They will listen to teams in regards to trade offers, but they want to get something back from that deal, and they’re willing to bring him back as a backup if it doesn’t happen that way.”
ESPN’s Adam 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. Still, Josh Kendall, Atlanta’s beat reporter for The Athletic, did mention the possibility of the Falcons keeping Cousins around too.
Of course, this is just 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, 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, but it might be the best thing for the team, depending on the prospects of a potential trade.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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