It appears the Atlanta Falcons will be going the Russell Wilson route with Kirk Cousins — parting with him just one year into an enormous contract.
Appearing Wednesday on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Falcons are expected to release the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Cousins around the time that the new league year begins on March 12. Schefter made a comparison between Cousins’ situation in Atlanta and that of Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos last year.
“This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver decided ultimately to move on from him, when it said it wouldn’t necessarily do that,” Schefter said. “They released [Wilson], he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh, and that’s how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold. With the Falcons releasing Cousins right around the start of the new league year, with him becoming a free agent, and with him finding a new home.”
You can watch Schefter’s full comments here.
Cousins, 36, just signed a gargantuan four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons less than one full year ago. But Atlanta then used a first-round draft choice on fellow quarterback Michael Penix Jr. one month later and eventually anointed Penix as their QB1 late in the 2024 campaign after Cousins had made 14 total starts for them.
While Cousins still has three years and $117.5 million left on that mammoth contract, the good news for Atlanta is that only $27.5 million of that money is guaranteed (all in the 2025 season). Releasing Cousins will still leave the Falcons with a ton of dead cap to eat regardless. But it looks like they are set on moving forward with the 24-year-old Penix as their permanent starter (with Cousins possibly having a landing spot with a surprising AFC team).
