Kirk Cousins didn’t return to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason because the Atlanta Falcons paid him a boatload of money. That looked crazy almost immediately, but it hasn’t aged well either.
Terry Fontenot blew his wad on Cousins, and then followed that up by drafting Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. It has all blown up in his face, and now he is doing everything he can to save himself from embarrassment.
Falcons willing to swallow former Minnesota Vikings quarterback
At every possible opportunity Kirk Cousins has always been looking to get paid. The Minnesota Vikings didn’t offer enough this offseason, and that had him moving on to Atlanta. Now he could be collecting paychecks while sitting on the bench.
Terry Fontenot does not have a significant track record of success. They have not had a winning season under his management, and now they are stuck in this quarterback conundrum.
Cousins led the NFL in interceptions with 16. He threw for 3,508 yards across 14 games before being benched. Penix went just 1-2 in his starts, and he carried only an even 3/3 TD/INT ratio. He also didn’t cost a ridiculous amount.
Cousins contract details
That four-year $180 million deal that Cousins signed, carries a whopping $65 million dead cap hit next season. Not only is no one else trading for that albatross, but Fontenot cannott simply move on from him either. The Falcons are destined to have the most expensive backup in football, and it’s awful for everyone involved.
Penix failed to beat the Carolina Panthers in an overtime game that could have, but did not even matter. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their contest and grabbed the postseason opportunity for a terrible NFC South division.
At this point though, Penix is the future for Atlanta and there is no turning back to Cousins. Even if he can win in the short term, there’s no reason to play him expecting a future to make any sort of a difference. And who knows if he can win in the short term.
The first true out for Atlanta and Cousins is after 2026. He’ll still carry a $35 million dead cap hit, but maybe he can finish his career elsewhere. It remains to be seen who will be interested after the 36-year-old sits for a year. At least Kirk loves his money and and can just sit on his pile of cash.
