Kirk Cousins’ Future with Falcons in Jeopardy as Free Agency Approaches

ATLANTA, Ga. — With the start of free agency just one week away, the standoff between quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons is intensifying. The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last year, but the 36-year-old played just 14 games before he was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr.

As Cousins is no longer the starter, speculation is growing that the Falcons may release him before he is due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17. Despite this possibility, the Falcons have repeatedly asserted their intention to retain Cousins. This week’s developments have added another layer of intrigue to the situation.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter commented on the Cousins saga, referencing general manager Terry Fontenot’s statements about Cousins’s status. Schefter suggested that the Falcons’ refusal to release Cousins may be a strategy to bolster his trade value.

“They’re not letting him go anywhere,” Schefter said. “We’ll see if they continue to uphold that stance in the days and weeks to come. Kirk Cousins obviously, I’m sure, doesn’t want to be there. He wants a chance to play. But by the time Atlanta moves off him, if it even moves off him, these musical chairs might be filled up with other players.”

Cousins’s desire for a timely release stems from his concern that if he remains with the Falcons too long, he may be left with fewer options in the quarterback market. The tension between Cousins and the Falcons escalated when Fontenot expressed he would be “very comfortable” with Cousins as a backup next season shortly after the conclusion of the last season.

Cousins responded by claiming that the situation had negatively impacted his performance, exposing the Falcons to potential penalties as it was not reflected on the team’s injury report. Adding fuel to the fire, he recently covered a Falcons logo with a plain black t-shirt at a public event. Fontenot’s remarks at the NFL Combine only escalated the tension.

Should the Falcons choose to bear the burden of Cousins’s roster bonus and hold onto him, they could leave him in a difficult position as other teams in need of a quarterback fill their vacancies. Potential suitors such as the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts would need Cousins to become available—either via release or trade—to consider bringing him aboard.

As the situation unfolds, it is evident that the Falcons hold the upper hand in determining Cousins’s future. The relationship between the two has turned contentious, raising questions about how the saga will conclude as free agency rapidly approaches.