Falcons GM Addresses Kirk Cousins's Future With Franchise After Rough Season

Kristen Wong | 9 Hours Ago

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons probably didn’t foresee how the 2024 NFL season would play out, otherwise they wouldn’t have given veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins a four-year contract worth up to $180 million.

In his first season in Atlanta, Cousins repaid the Falcons with a middling and disappointing campaign, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a career-high 16 interceptions across 14 games before getting benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. The 36-year-old signal-caller ended the year on the lowest of lows with one touchdown against nine interceptions over his last five games—which may very well have marked Cousins’s final stint as the Falcons’ starter.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot addressed Cousins’s future with the franchise in Thursday’s media session and admitted that he was hoping to see “high-level quarterback play” from Cousins for at least a few years.

That being said, Fontenot said the Falcons were “very comfortable” with Cousins serving as the backup quarterback for the foreseeable future.

“Kirk is a great man and he’s been great support for Mike. We are very comfortable moving forward with him as the backup,” Fontenot said, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic.

Fontenot added that he would listen to potential trade calls about Cousins, but “everyone would have to be good with it.” Cousins has a no-trade clause in his current deal.

Following an underwhelming 2024 season that saw the Falcons finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs for the seventh straight year, the organization appears inclined to fast-track former No. 8 pick Michael Penix Jr.’s development in the league. 

If the Falcons were to release Cousins before March 16, they’d still owe him $27.5 million in guaranteed cash and carry a $65 million dead cap hit in 2025. Keeping Cousins around as a useful mentor for Penix—or possibly working with him to find a new landing spot—seems to be Atlanta’s most fiscally sound solution going into next season.

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