The Atlanta Falcons might not be moving on from Kirk Cousins – yet.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said Cousins will remain with the team for the foreseeable future, on Tuesday at the NFL Draft combine, via NFL Network.
Cousins, 36, was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after struggling last season.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins enters the field before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
Cousins was benched despite signing a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed prior to last season.
Things started out well for Cousins and the Falcons, as they were 6-3 and atop the NFC South.
Then the team imploded as Cousins’ play took a turn for the worse. In Cousins’ final five games as the starter, he threw just one touchdown with nine interceptions as the team went on a four-game losing streak.
The team was 7-7 when Penix took over for Cousins, with their playoff chances having turned from once strong into a long shot. Penix went 1-2 with two overtime losses in his three starts, and the Falcons missed the playoffs.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr., left, and Kirk Cousins run on the field for the New York Giants game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
Fontenot praised Cousins for how he handled the demotion.
“Kirk handled that really well at the end of the season,” Fontenot said via NBC Sports. “Obviously, Kirk’s a really talented player, he’s a great man, all those things. Again, he handled that role well at the end of the season.”
NFL executives expected Cousins to be released before the quarterback was due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17, according to an ESPN report from December. However, Fontenot’s comments on Tuesday make it seem that Cousins is not going anywhere.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
That $10 million roster bonus will count toward the Falcons’ salary cap in 2026, per Spotrac.
In addition to the roster bonus kicking in, Cousins’ $27.5 million base salary, which he would receive if he stays on the Falcons’ roster, would make him an incredibly expensive backup quarterback.
Complicating matters for the Falcons is if they want to move on from Cousins via a trade, the quarterback would have to waive his full no-trade clause. According to the ESPN report, Cousins is not expected to waive it to help the Falcons.
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