Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano likewise confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want to make McCarthy earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
QB-Needy Teams Have Options Through Draft, Free Agency
It’s really not a surprise at this point in time, but reports indicate that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza getting drafted No. 1 overall by the Raiders is all but a sure thing. Mendoza cemented himself as the likely first overall pick even before the Hoosiers’ championship run through the College Football Playoff secured his Heisman win, and as soon as Las Vegas secured the top pick in the draft, Mendoza’s move to Nevada became a near certainty. 
Nothing is ever 100% sure, though, and there is always a possibility that the Raiders look at next year’s wide crop of quarterback prospects and an historic trade offer for the No. 1 overall pick and choose that route.
Overwhelmingly, though, pundits across the media spectrum believe that Vegas will retain their top overall pick and make things official with Mendoza. During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer dropped a number of quotes, saying, “I would be stunned if (Mendoza) didn’t go No. 1, right? I think it’s highly unlikely he goes anywhere but Vegas.”
Over at ESPN, a crew of reporters polled several NFL executives on the topic at the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and Super Bowl, and eight executives believed the Raiders would keep the pick, while no votes were tallied against that possibility. Separately, ESPN’s Rich Cimini asked Jets general manager Darren Mougey about the possibility of reaching out to Vegas to inquire about moving up, and he stated pretty plainly, “I don’t think that’s happening.” Courtney Cronin, another ESPN contributor, added to the crowd yesterday with a piece on Mendoza’s meeting with the Raiders and his excitement at the prospect of potentially being mentored by minority team owner Tom Brady.
Now, for teams with a need at quarterback not located in Sin City, the other obvious solutions are to go after one of the top free agent quarterbacks available — namely, Green Bay’s Malik Willis or Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones — or attempt to trade for San Francisco’s Mac Jones. After impressive 2025 contributions, both Joneses are expected to stay home, though, and only one team will get to claim Willis as a solution, but there is still a solvable equation for the teams that remain.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the teams that are still looking to acquire a passer after the above dust settles will be able to look toward either the litany of veteran quarterbacks with starting experience available for cheap or the numerous rookie passers who may be worth taking a flyer on or some combination of both.
Rapoport points to several veteran former starters who are thought to be release candidates and who may, in the same vein as Russell Wilson, be able to play for the veteran minimum, thanks to the added security of guaranteed money from the teams who may let them go. This situation would apply to players like Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and Geno Smith.
Teams can sign one of these quarterbacks to audition for a Jones-like comeback opportunity then pair them with a young, rookie option that may be available later on in the 2026 NFL Draft. After Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson has drawn some first-round interest, but there is a perceived drop off in the arms that follow. The next names on the list — LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, etc. — could fall anywhere in the draft.
Some see 2026 much like the 2022 NFL Draft, in which Kenny Pickett was the only Day 1 quarterback, and the next passer was taken in the third round. Others believe 2026 could be more like 2018 or 2024, when two passers were widely viewed as first-round talents but several others drifted into the first round based on the number of teams looking for answers at the position.
With many already looking forward to the quarterback prospects of the 2027 NFL Draft, we may see multiple teams opt to employ the services of a veteran starter alone or combined with a promising rookie. These decisions will play out over the next few weeks as the veterans hit free agency after release and draft grades are determined for rookies, but there are several options available to teams looking for quarterback help for 2026.
Ian Cunningham: Falcons Will Release QB Kirk Cousins
The Falcons’ recent restructure of Kirk Cousins‘ contract added further to the widespread expectation a release would be coming. New general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed as much on Tuesday. 
While appearing on 92.9 The Game, Cunningham said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic) Cousins will be released on the first day of the new league year. That means the Pro Bowl quarterback’s Atlanta tenure will come to an end on March 11. Cousins was set to see his 2027 salary (inflated to $67.9MM) vest in full on March 13, but to no surprise that will not be the case. This pending post-June 1 release will generate only $2.1MM in cap savings while creating $22.5MM in dead money charges (which can be spread across two years).
Cousins is therefore on track to reach free agency just before agreements with suitors can be finalized. The 37-year-old wishes to continue his career, and it will be interesting to see how his market takes shape in the near future. Especially if Daniel Jones remains in place with the Colts, free agency will not offer much in the way of starting-caliber veterans at the QB position. Cunningham later said (h/t Kendall) the Falcons will not be re-signing Cousins at a reduced rate, something which would have given them insurance while Michael Penix Jr. recovers.
Penix has yet to receive a full endorsement from Atlanta’s new regime – including Cunningham, president of football operations Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski – and his Week 1 availability is uncertain at this time. Penix has endured up-and-down showings while atop the depth chart early in his NFL career, and the former first-rounder has a long injury history dating back to his days in college. Once Cousins is off the books, a new deal in his case will be needed or Atlanta will be in the market for an experienced addition through free agency or trade.
For Cousins, meanwhile, a return to Minnesota will increasingly be something to watch for over the coming weeks. The possibility of a Vikings reunion has picked up steam in league circles recently, and it would of course fit on a number of levels. J.J. McCarthy has missed considerable time during his first two years in the NFL, and his level of play when on the field has left plenty to be desired. That has left Minnesota in the market for QB1 competition, and Cousins would be a familiar face for head coach Kevin O’Connell and Co. after playing with the Vikings from 2018-23.
The lack of a long-term commitment on the part of Minnesota helped lead Cousins to head elsewhere in free agency. His four-year, $160MM Falcons pact seemed to put him on track for multiple years atop the depth chart, but it was quickly followed by the Penix selection. Since then, speculation has lingered about when a parting of ways would take place and leave Penix in place as the clear-cut QB1 (or a passer set to compete with a new arrival for the starting gig). That time will soon arrive.
Reunion Between Kirk Cousins, Vikings Gaining Momentum?
The Vikings’ desire to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy could lead them back to old friend Kirk Cousins. With the Falcons expected to release Cousins in the next few weeks, he could be free to sign anywhere soon.
There is “growing sentiment” among NFL executives in the QB market that Cousins will rejoin the Vikings, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom reports. The move would reunite the 37-year-old with head coach Kevin O’Connell, who had success with Cousins in the past.
In 2022, the Vikings’ first season under O’Connell, Cousins threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way his fourth and most recent Pro Bowl nod. The Vikings went 13-4 and won the NFC North, but a 9-7-1 Giants team upended them in the wild-card round.
Statistically, Cousins got off to an even better start in 2023. However, a Week 8 Achilles tear wound up ending his Vikings tenure.
With Cousins hitting free agency during the ensuing offseason, the Vikings tried but failed to re-sign him. They were unwilling to give Cousins full guarantees through 2025. That wasn’t going to fly for Cousins, who went on to accept the Falcons’ Godfather offer of four years, $180MM and $100MM in guarantees.
A month and a half after adding Cousins, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot took another enormous gamble in drafting former Indiana and Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall. It came as a major surprise, and Cousins later revealed he may have re-signed with the Vikings had he known the Falcons would draft Penix.
“It felt like I had been a little bit misled or certainly if I had had the information around free agency, it would have affected my decision,” Cousins said last summer. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota, as much as we loved it there, if both teams were drafting a quarterback high.”
Despite Fontenot’s efforts, the Falcons still don’t have a clear answer at QB. Cousins struggled to regain form in the first year of his contract, leading head coach Raheem Morris to bench him for Penix ahead of Week 16. The Falcons were 7-7 and fighting for a playoff spot when Morris made the change. They finished 1-2 under Penix and missed the postseason for the seventh straight year.
Penix remained Atlanta’s starter entering last season, but it proved to be another rough season for the club. The Falcons went 8-9 again, and the oft-injured Penix was inconsistent before suffering a partially torn ACL in Week 11. The Falcons were 3-7 at the time. Cousins quarterbacked them to a 5-2 mark to wrap up the season, but it wasn’t enough to save Fontenot or Morris. Owner Arthur Blank fired the pair and replaced them with a new regime of president of football Matt Ryan, GM Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
A couple days after ousting Fontenot and Morris, the Falcons reworked Cousins’ contract, which signaled a forthcoming release. If Cousins is still a Falcon on the third day of the league year, he’ll earn a guaranteed $67.9MM for 2027. The restructuring also includes an $80MM poison pill for March 13, according to La Canfora. Considering the language in his deal, he’s as good as gone. The Falcons would take on a $35MM dead cap charge in designating Cousins a post-June 1 release, but they’d spread that over two seasons ($22.5MM in 2026, $12.5MM in ’27). The team would also save $2.1MM in cap room next season.
As is the case with the Falcons and Penix, the Vikings don’t know if they have the solution in their own 2024 first-round passer. Two picks after Penix came off the board, the Vikings selected McCarthy 10th overall.
A year after winning the national championship at Michigan, McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn meniscus. The Vikings didn’t miss a beat without McCarthy, though, as veteran Sam Darnold revived his career during a 14-win outburst.
After their season ended with an ugly wild-card round loss to the Rams, the Vikings didn’t retain Darnold. They also couldn’t prevent late-season backup acquisition Daniel Jones from leaving for a chance to start in Indianapolis. Darnold walked in free agency for the Seahawks’ three-year, $100.5MM offer. One season later, Darnold and the Seahawks are Super Bowl champions. Jones had a terrific year in his own right before it ended with a torn Achilles in Week 14.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off a nine-win season in which poor QB play torpedoed their chances of earning a playoff berth. McCarthy posted subpar numbers over 10 starts, and three injuries – a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a hairline fracture in his right hand – kept him out of seven games. The Vikings have since fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the GM who drafted McCarthy.
“They can say what they want publicly, but they have some serious questions about McCarthy,” one GM told La Canfora.
Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski is now their interim GM, but O’Connell wields plenty of decision-making power. If he regards Cousins as an ideal veteran to place in the QB room with McCarthy, a reunion could be in store.
Matt Ryan Non-Committal On Michael Penix Jr.’s Status As Falcons’ QB1; Latest On Kirk Cousins’ Future
The Falcons have a new collection of decision-makers in place in the form of president of football Matt Ryan, general manager Ian Cunningham, and head coach Kevin Stefanski. One of the top priorities for that trio will be devising a short- and long-term quarterback plan.
During last week’s introductory press conference for Cunningham, Ryan was asked if Michael Penix Jr. would step back into his QB1 role when he is recovered from the partially-torn ACL he sustained in November. As ESPN’s Marc Raimondi relays, Ryan was notably non-committal on that front.
“Neither of us are the head coach of the football team, so we can’t answer your question on that,” Ryan said of himself and Cunningham (even though final personnel authority belongs to Ryan, with both Cunningham and Stefanski reporting to him). “I think as we start to get into this process and dive deeper into the roster – how it currently stands, where it’s going in the future – I think those are conversations that’ll be a part of it.”
The club hoped it would be set at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future after making two splashes in the 2024 offseason. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in free agency in March 2024 and then surprised everyone (including Cousins) by selecting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick of that year’s draft. Cousins’ first season in Atlanta was derailed by injury, and he was ultimately benched in favor of Penix, who entered the 2025 offseason as the unquestioned starter. Despite Cousins’ status as an obvious trade/release candidate, the Falcons elected to retain the four-time Pro Bowler as the most expensive backup passer in NFL history.
Penix did not make the progress the Falcons hoped for in his sophomore campaign, and his season-ending ACL injury allowed Cousins to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup. In his 10 appearances (eight starts) in 2025, Cousins completed 61% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. He posted a 5-3 record as a starter.
The terms of Cousins’ recent contract restructure mean he will soon be released. However, there is at least a theoretical possibility that Atlanta could re-sign Cousins after releasing him, as we recently suggested. In that scenario, the 37-year-old would represent a viable stopgap solution until Penix is medically cleared. Cousins’ familiarity with Stefanski’s system – Stefanski was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator in Minnesota from 2018-19 – could make a new contract more likely. While retirement and a foray into broadcasting are also on the table, Cousins said he feels “rejuvenated” after finishing out the 2025 season as a starter and would like to continue playing in 2026 (via NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman).
Penix recently suggested he would be cleared by April, but Raimondi stands by prior reporting on the southpaw’s timeline. The ESPN scribe referenced a timeline of nine to 12 months.
“Quarterback’s obviously very important, and we’re excited about Mike and what he’s doing with his rehab,” Ryan said of Penix. “I’ve been up at the facility the last three weeks, and Michael’s been in there attacking that and he’s in a good space right now, so we’re excited about where he is at. But certainly, a lot of discussions for us about the entire roster.”
Deadline Set For Expected Kirk Cousins’ Release
FEBRUARY 7: When the Falcons restructured Cousins’ contract a month ago, they set a pretty glaring deadline by which they would need to cut the veteran quarterback. The team shifted $35MM of 2026 base salary to 2027, increasing that year’s base salary to $67.9MM, a number that would become fully guaranteed if Cousins is still on the roster on March 13 of this year. Therefore, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Atlanta is expected to release Cousins before that date.
In speculating on Cousins’ future, Schefter relayed that, while Cousins wants to play next season, the door is open to both retirement and television. Cousins got a bit of experience on the small screen after the season while appearing on CBS’s postseason pregame show, and if he isn’t able to find a quarterback-needy team on which he can make an impact, he may just make the full-time transition to television or could just hang it all up altogether.
JANUARY 30: Though the Falcons hired one of Kirk Cousins‘ former coaches, he is still expected to be on his way out of Atlanta in early March, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Cousins, 37, worked closely with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski during their shared time in Minnesota. Stefanski was the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach when Cousins signed with the team in 2018 and was promoted to interim offensive coordinator during the season. He held onto the gig for the 2019 season and called plays for Cousins as he passed his way to his second Pro Bowl.
However, their reunion is expected to be extremely short-lived. Cousins’ contract was recently reworked to essentially force his release before the start of free agency. The Falcons would consider re-signing Cousins’ on a cheaper deal than his current contract, but he will likely look for a clearer starting opportunity elsewhere. Michael Penix‘s ongoing recovery from knee surgery could sideline him at the start of the 2026 season, but he is expected to retake the starting job once he is healthy.
If Cousins cannot find a more appealing situation, he may opt for a return to Atlanta to once again work with Stefanski. He would start until Penix comes back on the field, and theoretically, he could play well enough to keep the starting job. That seems unlikely given his performance in the last two years, but perhaps Stefanski could reinvigorate the veteran quarterback.
Stefanski acknowledged his connection with Cousins after he was hired by the Falcons, but did not provide any insight on his future.
“Obviously, I have a previous relationship with Kirk, but I don’t know if it’s the time yet to talk about all those types of things,” Stefanski said (via Kendall). “Those conversations will come in due time.”
Falcons Rework Kirk Cousins’ Contract
Kirk Cousins recently expressed an openness to staying in Atlanta; as the franchise overhauls its staff, it does not appear that will happen. The Falcons restructured Cousins’ contract Tuesday, and the move points the high-priced quarterback out of town.
The Falcons’ redo will drop Cousins’ 2026 salary from $35MM to $2.1MM, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, who passes along a significant date that will most likely change the QB’s address soon. The Falcons have placed a $67.9MM guarantee for 2027 in this restructure, and a 2026 trigger date is now in place.
[RELATED: Matt Ryan Expected To Take Prominent Front Office Role]
If Cousins is on Atlanta’s roster by March 13, that $67.9MM 2027 number locks in, per Yates. It is extraordinarily unlikely the Falcons or any other team will want any part of that number, pointing to a release before that date. This restructure does not change any Cousins guaranteed money for 2026.
As long as Cousins is off the Falcons’ roster by March 13, he will only count $10MM in remaining guarantees. This restructure will increase the dead money number — currently at $35MM — for a 2026 release, however.
The Falcons entertained trade talks involving Cousins last year, but the team wanted an acquiring club to eat a sizable portion of Cousins’ 2025 money. Nothing happened, and Cousins remained Michael Penix Jr.‘s backup entering the season. A Penix injury ended up making Cousins an eight-game starter, but the younger passer will be on track to reclaim his job ahead of the 2026 season.
Cousins, 37, sought a Falcons release early during the 2025 offseason. He met with Arthur Blank about a release last March, but the owner refused the request. Cousins signed a four-year, $180MM contract that came with $90MM at signing in March 2024. Rather than trade or release Cousins last March, the Falcons allowed the additional $10MM guarantee (for 2026) to vest, marking a bit of a surprise since they had demoted him for Penix late in the 2024 season.
Cousins finished with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions during his 2025 Penix relief stint, but his completion percentage (61.7) and yards per attempt (6.4) represented career-low figures — in terms of seasons he has been his team’s primary starter. He could still appeal to a team as a bridge option, seeing as the ex-Washington draftee has 167 starts on his resume and three playoff appearances as a primary starter. Cousins was coming off an Achilles tear in 2024 and developed arm trouble that season as well. While the current version of Cousins is unlikely to excite QB-needy teams, he could serve as a passable stopgap.
The financially shrewd passer’s days of commanding starter-level deals are probably over, however. Cousins famously scored a three-year, $84MM Vikings deal that came fully guaranteed in 2018, doing so after being twice franchise-tagged on his way out of Washington. After Cousins and the Vikings could not agree on a fourth contract in 2024, he hit free agency and landed with a Falcons team that saw hopeful starter Desmond Ridder disappoint. The Falcons then drafted Penix eighth overall six weeks later. Cousins was blindsided by the unusual move and said it would have affected his decision to sign had he known a top-10 QB pick was on tap.
Kirk Cousins Open To Staying With Falcons; Latest On Kyle Pitts
Kirk Cousins made a persistent effort to leave Atlanta this year. The high-priced quarterback — one the team demoted late in the 2024 season — met with Arthur Blank about a release last spring. No trade or release took place, despite Cousins’ desire for the latter route, and he ended up starting nearly half the season.
Michael Penix Jr.‘s injury trouble resurfaced, giving Cousins a runway to start eight games. Cousins quarterbacked five of Atlanta’s eight wins this season. Two years remain on Cousins’ four-year, $180MM contract; only $10MM guaranteed remains on the deal. Penix remains the presumptive Falcons starter in 2026, but the QB’s injury trouble — a primary plotline during his Indiana years — certainly qualifies as an issue at this point.
Months after his meeting with Blank and voiced preference to be released (amid Penix’s rise to QB1 status), Cousins said he is open to staying with the Falcons. Confirming he is not planning to retire, the 14-year veteran said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall) he would “love” to stay in Atlanta. The 37-year-old QB is due a $35MM base salary in 2026.
The Falcons would be unlikely to unload all of that in a trade. The Terry Fontenot-led front office had sought to have an acquiring team pick up too much of the tab for clubs’ liking. Cousins’ performance in 2024 had already depressed his trade value, but the Falcons — who let Cousins’ $10MM 2026 guarantee vest this past March — stuck to their guns. Cousins’ presence did not end up mattering in the playoff race, but the Falcons did win four straight games and finished in a three-way tie for first in the again-dismal NFC South. This did not save Fontenot or Raheem Morris‘ jobs, leaving Cousins in limbo.
Cousins finished with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions, but his completion percentage (61.7) and yards per attempt (6.4) represented career-low figures — in terms of seasons he has been his team’s primary starter. A team could be interested in Cousins, but his contract will become an issue once again if any trade talks are to commence. Minimal trade interest emerged during the season.
The presence of a veteran starter did help Kyle Pitts. Four years after thriving as a rookie with Matt Ryan targeting him, the former first-round tight end came alive at a rather important time. The contract-year pass catcher finished with 88 receptions for 928 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. This included an 11-catch, 166-yard, three-TD night in an upset win over the Buccaneers. Pitts has set himself up well for free agency, even considering his inconsistent past.
A rumor pointing to the Falcons franchise-tagging Pitts came up, but with the team making wholesale changes, ESPN’s Dan Graziano does not see the team extending the 6-foot-6 performer at high-level rate. No known extension talks have taken place.
Drake London will assuredly be a priority, and the standout wide receiver is going into a contract year. Bijan Robinson is also now extension-eligible. This could still keep the tag in play, but an extension may be a stretch for a retooling team. Considering Pitts’ 1,000-yard season came with Ryan targeting him, it will be interesting to learn the retired QB-turned-exec’s views on the matter now that he appears set to take a lead front office role with his former team.
Falcons HC Raheem Morris Discusses Kirk Cousins’ Future
DECEMBER 19: To little surprise, Kendall’s colleague Jeff Howe writes a Cousins trade should not be expected this offseason. If a parting of ways is to take place, a release represents the logical path from Atlanta’s perspective. With plenty of uncertainty on the sidelines and in the front office, though, Cousins’ future remains unclear.
DECEMBER 18: With the goal of establishing a long-term plan at quarterback, the Falcons made multiple aggressive moves to bolster the position after the 2023 season. Their first bold strike came when they signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM pact with $100MM in guarantees in March 2024.
With Cousins in the fold on a mega-deal, there was no expectation the Falcons would immediately use a high pick on a passer in that spring’s draft. They stunningly did just that in selecting former Indiana Hoosier and Washington Husky Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall.
Despite Penix’s presence, Cousins entered 2024 as the Falcons’ unquestioned QB1. Although he signed with Atlanta after prolific runs in Washington and Minnesota, Cousins’ Vikings tenure ended with a torn Achilles in Week 8 of 2023. Over two years since suffering that injury, he hasn’t regained his old form.
Cousins bounced back from his Achilles tear to start the Falcons’ first 14 games last season. He posted mediocre-at-best numbers and led the team to a middling 7-7 record, though, and head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for Penix ahead of Week 16. Although the Falcons lost two of three under Penix and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year, he showed enough to remain the starter heading into 2025.
With Penix taking over, Cousins was interested in a change of scenery in the offseason. Nothing came together on that front, leaving Cousins as a ridiculously expensive backup.
As was the case with Cousins in 2024, Penix didn’t look like the answer this year. His season ended with a partially torn ACL in a Week 11 loss to the Panthers. The Falcons, 3-7 at that point, turned back to Cousins to close out a dud of a campaign. The 37-year-old has put together a couple of strong performances and a pair of clunkers in his return to a starting role. Cousins turned back the clock in a Week 15 win over the Buccaneers, completing 30 of 44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
Now 5-9, the Falcons are guaranteed to miss the playoffs again. Owner Arthur Blank will spend the next three weeks evaluating Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. They aren’t locks to return next year. Neither is Cousins, whose contract remains an albatross.
There are still two years left on Cousins’ deal, but the four-time Pro Bowler has the mentality of a soon-to-be free agent. Cousins said Wednesday that he feels as if he’s on an “expiring contract,” per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
With an untenable $57.5MM cap hit in each of the next two seasons, it’s logical for Cousins to approach it that way. Designating Cousins as a post-June 1 release would enable the Falcons to spread out $35MM in dead cap over the next two seasons, Kendall notes. While an offseason split seems likely, Morris isn’t closing the door yet.
“Everything is on the table,” Morris said in regards to Cousins’ future. He later added: “We planned on the amount of years we put in his contract and hopefully potentially more. We will all sit down at the end of the season and have those discussions and talk about those things.”
Considering Penix may not be ready at the start of 2026, ditching Cousins would add to the Falcons’ questions under center. Morris said he still views Penix as the “quarterback of the future,” but his so-so performance in the pros and long-running history of serious injuries dating back to college don’t inspire confidence.
Whether it’s Cousins or someone else, the Falcons will have to line up a capable insurance policy at the position for next year. With Morris and Fontenot potentially on the outs, it’s possible a new regime will decide Cousins’ fate.
Jets GM Darren Mougey Has Scouted QBs Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore In Person; Latest On Team’s 2026 QB Plans
If the season ended today, the 2-9 Jets would hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Even if they do not end up with that pick – and it is certainly feasible they lose enough games down the stretch to find themselves even higher on the draft board – they should be in prime position to select one of next year’s top quarterback prospects.
To that end, GM Darren Mougey has scouted Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore in person, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Unfortunately for Mougey, the 2026 class of signal-callers, once viewed as a promising one, has seen its stock drop over the course of the 2025 season.
Mendoza has been among the most impressive collegiate QBs and is viewed by many as the top prospect likely to declare for the 2026 draft. Although the game that Mougey attended featured Mendoza leading a dramatic, game-winning drive against Penn State, opinions are split on his ceiling at the NFL level. Moore, meanwhile, is only 20 and could benefit from another year of development in the college ranks.
If players like Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, and Texas’ Arch Manning decide to stay in school for one more season, that will strengthen a 2027 class that is already set to include Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. We had heard one of the reasons Mougey was willing to accept a 2027 first-round pick from the Cowboys in this month’s Quinnen Williams trade was because of his belief that the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than its ‘26 counterpart. So, while the first-year GM is obviously doing his due diligence, he may wait another year to make a high-end draft investment in a QB (though Cimini says in a separate piece that there is “growing buzz” in league circles connecting Mendoza to the Jets).
Whether it is Mendoza or someone else, Cimini thinks the Jets will add a rookie QB in the 2026 draft, and he also believes Mougey will acquire a veteran passer. Despite the fact that Justin Fields’ 2026 salary includes $10MM in guaranteed money, Cimini indicates Mougey will likely release the recently-demoted signal-caller – which jibes with previous reports on the matter – and will not try to re-sign his replacement, Tyrod Taylor.
As per usual, the 2026 crop of free agents offers little by way of starting-caliber quarterbacks, and the one that does qualify as such, Daniel Jones, may not make it to free agency. Mougey could therefore look to the trade market to acquire a bridge passer, and Cimini names Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and Kirk Cousins as potential targets (Murray and Jones, at least, could also be in the Vikings’ crosshairs).
UDFA rookie Brady Cook has spent most of the year on the Jets’ practice squad, though he has been elevated on several occasions to operate as a backup (he has not, however, seen any regular season game action). In response to a question about whether Cook would get into a game in 2025, head coach Aaron Glenn conceded it was a possibility, but he offered no guarantees.