The Falcons have a difficult decision to make before March 17. Atlanta can either foot the bill for $26.5 million and turn the page on the Cousins era in Atlanta or keep him at the cost of $37.5 million minus what a team would give him in 2026.
That $10 million difference isn’t significant in the grand scheme of things, considering the league’s salary cap could eclipse $300 million next year. That’s at least the argument from a couple of other insiders.
Cameron Wolfe and Mike Garafolo believe that the Falcons could actually hold Kirk Cousins’ feet to the fire and force him to be Michael Penix Jr.’s backup or accept a trade.
Falcons future at QB is bright with Michael Penix Jr. but first up may be a waiting game as they decide what to do with Kirk Cousins.
More for @nflnetwork The Insiders with @judybattista and @MikeGarafolo: pic.twitter.com/hbI3IO7ZIr
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) February 25, 2025
Breer noted that he doesn’t believe Kirk Cousins will help the Falcons in any capacity, but it begs the question: would the veteran prefer to spite the team and possibly watch his final years in the league pass him by on the bench?
If I’m the Falcons, I am calling his bluff. Cousins is aging and doesn’t have many years left in this league. There’s no reason to believe he would accept being a backup in Atlanta rather than just waiving his no-trade clause.
The only thing is the Falcons, namely Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and Arthur Blank, have to be comfortable with Cousins being in Atlanta this season. They have to fully commit to keeping him for it to work.
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Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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