Cousins has been benched for 2024 first-round rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after throwing an NFL-leading 16 interceptions and committing 13 fumbles, losing two of them. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Penix will start the final three regular-season games.
The Falcons started out 6-3 but have lost four of their last five games to drop to 7-7. In the last five games, Cousins has thrown nine interceptions. The Falcons currently have a 20% chance to make the playoffs.
With Cousins virtually untradable, and the quarterback having a no-trade clause on top of that, a top NFL insider reveals the Falcons will have to release Cousins by this date.
Top NFL insider reveals when Atlanta Falcons will officially move on from Kirk Cousins
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Cousins will be released before March 17, when the Falcons owe the quarterback a $10 million roster bonus.
A Falcons official told Schefter that “it was too early to determine whether the organization would release Cousins,” since Penix’s low salary-cap number of $5.2 million gives the team flexibility to keep both quarterbacks.
“But the expectation around the league remains that the Falcons will release Cousins before the roster bonus is due,” Schefter reports.
The NFL insider added: “The Falcons might try to see whether there’s a way to trade Cousins but will need his cooperation, and nobody across the league expects them to get it, meaning it’s only a matter of time before Atlanta will be left with no choice but to release him.”
Cousins was coming back from a torn Achilles he suffered with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.
While this marks the end for Cousins in Atlanta, it doesn’t mean he won’t be on an NFL roster in 2024. Several teams will be looking for quarterbacks, including the New York Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns.
