The Atlanta Falcons shocked the football world when they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft shortly after signing fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. They shocked them again earlier this week when they benched Cousins in favor of Penix.
That is likely where the Cousins saga in Atlanta will end.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Falcons are expected to release Cousins before he’s owed a $10 million roster bonus on March 17.
Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the league fully expecting Atlanta to have to release him by then.https://t.co/pUBOJ03BXi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2024
Citing multiple sources, Schefter adds that “split between Cousins and the Falcons is inevitable at this point.” Atlanta could attempt to seek a trade but the veteran is not expected to cooperate.
Given the pre-written ending to this story, it’s unlikely the Falcons will put Cousins in a position to play again this season. Even if Penix were to suffer an injury, the veteran will spend the remainder of his days in Atlanta on the bench.
In 14 games this season, Cousins completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. However, from Week 10 through Week 15, Cousins threw just a single touchdown compared to nine interceptions, going 2-4 over that span.
The cost of cutting Cousins will be significant but not entirely unmanageable for the Falcons.
