We’ve got a game of chicken in Atlanta between the Falcons and Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons have remained firm in their stance of keeping Cousins on the roster in 2025. During the week of the NFL Combine, the organization’s GM Terry Fontenot reiterated that the club will do what’s best for themselves, which may be keeping Cousins in Atlanta.
“No, it hasn’t changed,” Fontenot said about the possibility of keeping Cousins on the roster next season. “Just like with any player at any position, or any decision we make, we always have to look at all the circumstances and do what’s absolute best for the Atlanta Falcons, but at this point, that hasn’t changed.”
An inflection point to prepare for is March 17th. On St. Patrick’s Day, the veteran quarterback has a $10 million roster bonus that will fully vest for the 2026 campaign. According to ESPN pundit Dan Graziano, the Falcons won’t let that bonus factor into their decision.
“Kirk Cousins’ $10 million 2026 roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year, but I was told that isn’t a factor in the Falcons’ timetable for moving on from him,” Graziano writes. “They’ve already sunk $90 million into Cousins for less than one year’s worth of games, and if they truly believe there’s a trade market for him, the extra $10 million won’t deter them from hanging on past March 17. Odds are much stronger, however, that they won’t find much of a market and will end up releasing Cousins at some point soon.”
“General manager Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris continued to push the narrative that they’d be pleased as punch to have Kirk Cousins back next season as the backup to quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but the league isn’t buying it. During my first four days in Indianapolis, every single person I talked to about Cousins scoffed at the idea,” Kendall wrote.
Kendall did add that there was a conversation he had that suggested folks in Cousins’ camp are starting to wonder if the Falcons might actually not be bluffing at all. It’s a standoff between the Falcons and Kirk Cousins, with the entire league watching. Everybody expects the Falcons to blink first, but Terry Fontenot has become known for the unexpected, whether it be for better or worse.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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