After benching starting quarterback Kirk Cousins just 14 games into his four-year, $180 million contract, the Atlanta Falcons have a decision to make on Cousins's future.
Will they trade Cousins? Release him? Keep him? What's the next step for the four-time Pro Bowler who will turn 37 years old a few weeks before the start of the 2025 regular season?
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked during his press conference Wednesday about whether he'd like to see Cousins back in an Atlanta uniform next season, and he acknowledged the conversation is "so premature" as the team remains focused on the final five games of 2024.
"It'd be hard for me to tell you that I don't want to see Kirk Cousins," Morris said. "I love Kirk Cousins. I love everything about him. And so does this football team and who he is and what he's all about. Those things will come when we get to those moments.
"And obviously, you don't know what's going to happen every single year. Every single year is different. They always are. They always are different things."
Morris added that Cousins, who completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while leading Atlanta to a 7-7 record, is well-liked by everyone in the Falcons' organization, and vice versa.
"Kirk Cousins has no ill will in this building towards anybody or with anybody," Morris said. "So, I love Kirk."
Morris gave a similar response regarding Cousins's long-term future with the team during his press conference Dec. 18, the day after the Falcons benched Cousins.
How does Cousins feel about it? He's more so focused on the present -- which includes being the backup to first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr., who made his first NFL start in last Sunday's 34-7 victory over the New York Giants.
"Again, you're kind of one day at a time right now, and you kind of always are in this league," Cousins said during his press conference Dec. 18. "Then in the off season, that's when conversations happen, but we're not there yet."
For now, the first-place, Penix-led Falcons (8-7) have their attention on beating the Washington Commanders (10-5) at 8:20 p.m. Sunday inside Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
