Atlanta Falcons Plan to Release Veteran QB Kirk Cousins Before March

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in December 2022
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in December 2022. Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto/Shutterstock (13661376k)

Less than a week ago, veteran Kirk Cousins was the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Since then, Cousins has been benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. and is now expected to be released by the team.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons plan to cut Cousins before March in order to avoid paying his $10 million roster bonus. He also cited sources close to the organization that told him the split between Cousins and the Falcons is “inevitable. “

Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent in the offseason and signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons. The expectation was that an experienced quarterback like Cousins could lift a talented roster to contention status. As a backup plan, the franchise also drafted Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Returning from an Achilles injury, Cousins was visibly rusty during his 14 games as the Falcons’ starter. That was particularly the case in the last five games, which included four losses. He now has an NFL-leading 16 interceptions alongside 12 fumbles, which is also tied for most in the league.

Instead of emerging as a contender, the Falcons now find themselves at 7-7 with one game behind the NFC South leaders Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) and are in danger of missing out on the postseason for the seventh straight year.

The Falcons could have decided to trade Cousins considering there are still teams who would be willing to take a gamble on him due to his previous success. However, considering that Cousins has a no-trade clause and was blindsided by Atlanta’s drafting of Penix Jr., the sentiment around the league is that he would be willing to help out the franchise in any way, leaving the release as the only viable option.