Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins seemed to confirm reports that he sought an exit out of Atlanta this offseason, but said that he’s focused on “moving forward” as the season approaches, per Rick Farlow of the Associated Press.
“Obviously you’d love to play,” admitted Cousins (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall), “but I’m not going to dwell on things that aren’t reality. That’s not the situation I am in, so it’s better to be focused on the situation I’m in and control what you can control. I think that’s the right mindset to have.”
Indeed, Cousins is set to spend most, if not all, of the 2025 season on the bench behind Michael Penix. The 2024 No. 8 pick took over under center after Cousins threw a league-high 16 interceptions through 14 starts last year. Penix wasn’t brilliant in his three starts, throwing three interceptions of his own on his way to a 78.9 passer rating, but the Falcons believe he has a better long-term outlook than the 36-year-old Cousins.
Understandably, Cousins does not want to spend the twilight of his career as a backup. There is no question that he struggled in Atlanta last year – his 88.6 passer rating was his lowest as a full-time starter – but he earned three Pro Bowl nods from 2019 to 2022 and was on his way to another before his Achilles tear in 2023. He was linked with a number of teams during the offseason, but interest gradually waned as they honed in on other quarterbacks in free agency and the draft. When Aaron Rodgers finally signed with the Steelers last week, Cousins’ last path out of Atlanta seemed to be gone.
However, Cousins could quickly find himself in demand another team’s starter get injured in training camp. His contract might be tough to move this close to the season, but the Falcons might be willing to eat a majority of his 2025 salary for the right trade compensation.
Of course, if Penix were to miss any time, Cousins would step in as the Falcons’ starting quarterback. If he bounces back from last year’s showing, the team’s desire to compete in the NFC South could even help him stay on the field. It’s hard to imagine Cousins playing well enough to finishing out his contract in Atlanta, which runs through 2027, but a strong 2025 could convince another team to acquire him next offseason as a starter.
For now, though, Cousins seems resigned to staying put and watching the action from the sidelines.
Cousins gamed the system for so long that I bet a few of the owners are seeing his purgatory as appropriate retribution.
How did he game the system? You can’t force owners to sign you for what you want? He didn’t go into negotiations with a gun. Atlanta screwed up. They signed him to a huge deal and then drafted a player 8th. Was Cousins supposed to give money back to billionaires?
I fail to see how owners being shortsighted or stupid enough to overpay Cousins counting as “gaming the system”.
The system gamed itself. Franchising a quarterback twice in a row is a great way to balloon his salary and give him leverage. It happened with Dak, who stayed in Dallas at a number they inflated, and it happened with Cousins, which led to him being one of the best quarterbacks to hit free agency while still in his prime in the modern era.
But yeah, he’s shown himself to be a better businessman than a number of owners.
If the right QB goes down (a playoff bound team), Atlanta will trade away both salary and get picks. Kirky will play this year, where, nobody knows. Somebody in management has already told him how things might play out, so he’s calmed down.
Penix is not exactly iron man himself. Cousins may find himself the starter in Atlanta again.
Trade Cousins to Indy for Richardson. Injured lottery ticket.
Cousins to Indy doesn’t make sense for the Colts. They have a veteran option in Daniel Jones. And they will give Richardson every chance to make good on his #4 draft pick because they otherwise don’t have a long term answer at QB. We all know it’s unlikely Richardson amounts to anything, but I don’t think they’re ready to give up on him for one season of Kirk Cousins.
There’s no guarantee Penix is even a good NFL quarterback. Cousins could find himself starting again due to a Penix injury or Penix ineffectiveness. I’m certain if Cousins is on the Falcons roster he will start games in 2025 for one reason or another.
That has been the Falcons plan all along. They have insurance and a great trade option later in season.
I’ll offer teams a bargain and only take $35 mill to ride the bench. Any takers???
I’ll do it for one thirty-fifth of that…