Contrary to what most expected coming out of the 2024 season, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot has held the line on keeping Kirk Cousins as a backup. This would mean taking on another $10MM (via a roster bonus due in less than two weeks) on a player due a fully guaranteed $27.5MM base salary.
Michael Penix Jr. has established himself as the clear-cut starter in Atlanta going into the offseason, after the team had prepared for Cousins to start two years before a baton pass. Considering how quickly teams throw first-round picks into the fire, that long-term plan never appeared realistic. And Cousins’ poor play down the stretch prompted Raheem Morris to pull the plug early. Rumors about a Cousins release emerged soon after, but he remains a Falcon days before free agency.
Cousins appears to be pushing the Falcons to cut him. The 36-year-old QB sought a meeting with Arthur Blank and received it, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who reports the benched passer is seeking a 2025 destination in which he could end up a starter. Blank did not give Cousins any assurances, as Breer adds the owner will attempt to “do what’s best for the team at QB.” The meeting occurred Wednesday night.
Holding a no-trade clause, Cousins does not appear a realistic trade candidate. The roster bonus and $27.5MM base salary would probably be a non-starter, considering how Cousins deteriorated down the stretch. Yet, some teams did leave the Combine believing the Falcons would actually hang onto the high-priced passer, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Cousins suitors are still being told he will not be released, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. Teams have only contacted the Falcons about a potential release, with Russini adding no trade talks are ongoing.
Fontenot has said on multiple occasions this offseason he indeed views Cousins as the team’s 2025 backup. Understandably, Cousins is not onboard with that arrangement.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180MM deal to start for the Falcons; $90MM came guaranteed at signing. Another $10MM, which is due soon, was viewed as a practical guarantee since it was assumed the Falcons would not cut Cousins after one season. Some around the league did wonder if Cousins would be traded, with the 49ers (as a Brock Purdy contingency plan) coming up. But Cousins’ benching — after a rough stretch of games that helped sink the Falcons — certainly tanked his trade value. During his final five starts, Cousins sported a 1-9 TD-INT ratio.
While Cousins’ value has cratered, many teams need 2025 starting QBs ahead of a draft not replete with options. The Browns and Jets have been connected early; Cousins has played for Kevin Stefanski before and negotiated with the Jets as a free agent in 2018. Cousins is running out of chances, after the Falcons partnership went south so quickly, but if released he might fit in as a Russell Wilson-like option on a minimum salary. Offset language appears in Cousins’ Falcons deal, so his next contract would subtract from the dead money that would appear on the Falcons’ cap sheet.
If Cousins does secure a release, he would join a market featuring younger starter options (Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones) and veterans (Wilson, Aaron Rodgers). Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders may need bridge players, however, and this lot of QBs would be jockeying for spots, as no other surefire starting QBs have made themselves known in this draft pool just yet. Cousins can pitch to teams that he will be nearly two years past his October 2023 Achilles tear, as that may do plenty of work since selling his 2024 season would not be a good starting point.
Oh boy lol
This
Hahaha
Falcons in a tough spot. If Penix is bad and the Falcons are good, you don’t want calls to come to start Kirk again. If Penix is good and the Falcons are bad, Kirk isn’t needed. Only if Penix is good and the Falcons are good, does Kirk serve as a useful backup QB.
Penix is already good lol
I don’t think he’s played enough to have a definitive answer.
I was impressed with his NFL performance, especially last game of the season. I wasn’t expecting him to play that well, mostly because he acted hurt while getting blown out in that national championship game. Hopefully he continues to mature and be professional.
Acted hurt? Lmao
Really…based on what…a last game of the season or the 3 TD’s and 3 INT’s he threw with 58% accuracy….come on….let’s see the kid play a 17 game schedule before anointing him as “really good”…….if he was so good, the Falcons would have found a way to rid themselves of Cousins before now…..he doesn’t want to be this teams insurance policy in case Penix tanks…..
Heard about injury? If you are paying for a starting QB 2 (guarantees), damn well keep the man on the bench. If Kirky wants to shoot his mouth off, let him renounce some portion of his guarantees and make his release worth the Falcons’ while.
Of course Scrooge McCousins will do no such thing. He loves money far more than he’s ever loved football. Ride the pine, Kirky, that’s what you are being paid to do.
The only way a Cousins deal could work would be as a lender (“You pay us, we pay Kirk, we lend you his rights”) but lender contracts have never been part of NFL.
Cousins has been a pretty savvy negotiator of his own contracts so the “he loves money” comment can be spread across 98% of NFL players…..Obviously you don’t like him but he’s carved out a pretty good career that started in a pretty crappy situation in Washington and has played itself out very lucratively for him and his family….the same lucrative way every NFL athlete tries to create.
Whiny Cousins wants to double-dip now. “Pay me a big guarantee. Now release me but still pay me.”
It doesn’t work like that. Do the crime, pay the time.
Alex Kinnear just put the fries in the bag bro
Why as the falcons would you appease this clown? Dudes getting paid what he asked for in fa. Falcons gain nothing releasing him. Diva cousins gains everything.
They gain the reputation as a team that does right by their players. Plus what idiot thinks it’s a good idea to have a malcontented player behind your young franchise QB.
Kirky can hand back some of the gold which are in his golden handcuffs if playing as a starter is so important to him. Cousins is a bank robber and he’s finally where he belongs: in jail.
Bank robber? It’s not like he held the falcons at gun point and said pay me.
You sound poor and jealous lol
And you sound like Cousin’s mentally challenged nephew or like someone with a man-crush on Kirk C.
Definitely jealous of Cousin’s accounting savvy. Never win anything, flop in big games most of his career, amass his stats in garbage time, become the highest paid quarterback in NFL history.
Never win anything, flop in big games most of his career, amass his stats in garbage time, become the highest paid quarterback in NFL history……remind you of somebody else…..Dak Prescott maybe…..
Aww, poor Kirk. Sit home if you don’t like it.
Or beat out a non elite QB
we assume you are saying Penix is an elite QB….really bro….after what 2-3 games….your sights are a bit twisted man….
He literally said non elite are you blind?
Is it REALLY a negative that the guy wants to start? Do you want somebody on your roster making decent money who says, “Yeah, I’m fine with not playing?”
He should want to start, so why doesn’t he try to win his job back?
Sticking Atlanta with a huge dead cap hit is the issue. Only he benefits from his release and that’s typical of Cousins, it’s all about him.
Now, if Cousins is willing to be released and waive all future money that the Falcons owe him, that’s totally different.
I’ll leave that to the cap gurus on here.
Waive all future money that some incompetent GM paid you for? In what world do you live in?
So that’s the world you live in, sign a contract, push for a release and expect to be paid in full? Comical.
Better yet, don’t sign an aging quarterback coming off a torn Achilles to the tune of $100 million guaranteed money and then cry when you have to pay him $27.5 million dollars to be a backup. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
And he’s not “expecting to be paid in full”. That’s asinine. It’s what the contract states. You get cut, the company that cut you pays you $90 million severance.
My friend, what the heck are you reading? I suggest you go back and re-read as you are twisting words to fit your story. I don’t care if they signed him after an arm fell off, he signed the contract. I don’t care if he plays or not and nor does Atlanta. He’s the one with the issue. You are definitely not reading what’s being posted. Wow.
My dude. It’s not a story, it’s an opinion. Of course it’s more detrimental to the Falcons. You can say he’s the one with the issue but the bigger issue is Atlanta having to pay this dude insane money to hold an iPad. That’s on them
@AndyMeyer. Andy, I’m too old to be a dude. LOL
Haha! Noted. Enjoy your weekend my friend
Cousins thinks he can still start. Obviously I think we can both can agree that that ship has sailed. He’s not going to be released because the dead cap it’s ridiculous. It’s an ugly situation.
Yes, I agree on all counts.
4th and 8
And trying to drive into a head wind that is about 100mph 🙂
Hey look, Jimmy Haslam, an owner willing to talk w/ a player about his contract. What a novel idea!!!
Maybe Haslam is a jerk, maybe not….he signed the checks…..but Garrett, nor anyone has anything to troll him about in this situation…Garrett was very vocal about not wanting to either sign and extension nor continue playing for what he considered a non-winning team….but of course he’ll take his paycheck….all this was very much in the papers before requesting a talk with the guy who signs the checks….maybe Haslam was a bit pissed that Garrett didn’t sit and talk before he opened his big mouth in the news dissing the team that Haslam owns……you get what you sow….
I wonder if Jimmy is even allowed to answer the phone without permission from his wife Dee.
Overpaid severely for Cousins, reached for Penix who didn’t really prove anything last year. ATL is a mess. A non factor in the weakest division in the NFL
Blank may sign the checks, but team management is a mess down there and is to blame.
My, what a difference a year makes.
#18
If Kirk can convince an owner to give him money and still to move him to a team that will start him I think Kirk would be the man and you guys should be happy for him don’t be **** because the guy knows how to get paid
Absolutely….neither Blank nor Cousins are fools and Kirk seems to know a bit more than the typical NFL athlete as far as negotiating a contract in his favor which you can’t hold against him……
“Penix has established himself as the clear cut starter” he certainly has not based on his stats and performance.