Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins reportedly has not spoken to Atlanta Falcons leadership since the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, it isn't yet clear what the Falcons intend to do with Cousins this offseason between keeping him, cutting him or trading him.
Last offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract despite the fact that he was coming off a torn Achilles.
The 36-year-old never quite looked like himself during his first season in Atlanta, as he went 7-7 in 14 starts and completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a career-high and league-high 16 interceptions.
After the four-time Pro Bowler threw one touchdown and nine interceptions over a five-game span, he was benched in favor of rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. for the final three games of the season.
Penix is in line to be the starter next season, which could result in the Falcons parting ways with Cousins after just one season, but as noted by Pelissero and Rapoport, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has suggested that Atlanta could keep Cousins as a backup, saying: "We are very comfortable moving forward with [Cousins] as backup."
While Cousins would provide some quality insurance behind a young quarterback, he would also be highly expensive for that role.
Per Pelissero and Rapoport, keeping Cousins on the roster past March 16 would guarantee him $10 million in 2026 in addition to the $27.5 million he is slated to make next season.
Since Cousins has a no-trade clause, he could veto any deal and force the Falcons to release him, which would then allow him to choose where he wants to go.
According to Spotrac, releasing Cousins would result in $65 million in dead cap next season and cost the Falcons $25 million against the cap. A post-June 1 would spread the dead cap over two years with $40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026.
Either way, the Falcons will have a tough pill to swallow financially in terms of either paying big money to a backup or dealing with significant dead cap after cutting him.
Given the enormity and difficulty of the decision, Pelissero and Rapoport suggested that the Falcons could wait until on or near the March 16 deadline to make their choice.
