Kirk Cousins is expected to be cut by the Atlanta Falcons before the start of the new league year in March, according to reports.
The veteran quarterback, 37, moved to Atlanta on a staggering four-year, $180million contract in 2024, but quickly lost his starting position to Michael Penix Jr amid a string of poor displays.
Now almost two years on, ESPN is reporting that the Falcons will release Cousins before the new year gets underway in order to allow him to choose where or if he still wants to play in 2026.
The two parties recently restructured his deal to make it easier for both sides if he is released as expected, providing Cousins with the optionality he wanted and Atlanta with financial flexibility.
They modified the final two years of his contract after changing his base salary next season from $35m to $2.1m and adding the leftover $32.9m to his 2027 base salary, making it $67.9m. That figure would then become guaranteed if he remains on the roster at the start of the league year.
Cousins is instead set to become a free agent yet again, which has landed him deals that are virtually fully guaranteed with both the Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings in recent years.
Kirk Cousins is expected to be cut by the Falcons before the start of the new league year
The 37-year-old quickly lost his starting place after signing a $180m deal in Atlanta in 2024
If he receives interest, the four-time Pro Bowler will now weigh up whether to return for a 15th year in the NFL or call time on his career six months before his 38th birthday.
Should he decide to hang up his cleats TV is likely to be an option for him post-football, having appeared on CBS’s pregame show during the postseason.
In 10 appearances, Cousins completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. Atlanta went 5-3 with him as starter after Penix tore his ACL back in November.
Parting company with him further opens up the quarterback position for the Falcons, who are not fully committed to Penix as their starter long-term.
New head coach Kevin Stefanski, president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham have a decision to make, yet they will not be able to pick a quarterback early in the 2026 draft after the franchise traded away their first-round pick last year to get edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
Penix is currently recovering from surgery on the torn left ACL he suffered in November and will be out for nine to 12 months as a result.
