The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly set to part ways with quarterback Kirk Cousins, just one year after signing him to a massive four-year, $180 million deal.
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ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed on Wednesday's "NFL Live" that the Falcons are expected to release the 36-year-old quarterback around the start of the new league year on March 12. Schefter drew parallels between Cousins' situation in Atlanta and that of Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos last offseason, when Denver made the surprising decision to move on from Wilson after a similarly rocky year.
"This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason," Schefter said. "They released him, and he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh. That's how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold."
Cousins, who had made 14 starts for the Falcons after joining the team in 2024, now finds himself on the outs as Atlanta appears committed to Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons selected Penix in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and by late in the season, Penix was officially installed as the team's starting quarterback.
Although Cousins still has three years and $117.5 million remaining on his contract, only $27.5 million is guaranteed for the 2025 season. The Falcons are poised to absorb a significant amount of dead cap as a result of the release, but it's clear the team has decided to build around Penix moving forward. With Cousins set to become a free agent, his next destination could very well be an AFC team looking for a short-term quarterback solution, similar to the way Wilson landed in Pittsburgh after his Denver release.
