Falcons will reportedly cut QB Kirk Cousins before $10M roster bonus is due
It will be the second straight offseason that Cousins is a free agent
The Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins will reportedly part ways after the season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The 36-year-old quarterback, who is in his first season with the Falcons, is expected to be cut before March 17, which is when he is due a $10 million roster bonus.
After head coach Raheem Morris announced this week that rookie Michael Penix Jr. would take over at quarterback for the rest of the season, a split with Cousins seemed inevitable.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal in the offseason to join the Falcons after six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. A month and an half after that free agent deal, Atlanta used the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Penix.
The Cousins situation is similar to what happened between the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson earlier this year. The quarterback was cut before his $37 million salary became fully guaranteed on March 17. After being released, Wilson would sign a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Should Cousins be in a different uniform in 2025, the Falcons would be on the hook for $26.3 million of the $27.5 million owed to him next season.
Who might be interested in Kirk Cousins?
There will be a number of teams looking for a quarterback in the offseason and, like Wilson, cheaper QBs would become instantly more attractive.
Wilson, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones will be among those likely on the market and teams like the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders could be interested in Cousins if they're looking for a bridge quarterback to mentor a young signal caller they hope to select in the 2025 NFL Draft or, in the case of the Titans and Colts, one that they currently have under contract. Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson even threw the Cleveland Browns into the mix for Cousins if they want someone to provide competition for Deshaun Watson.
Cousins, who returned this season after suffering a torn Achilles in 2023, has thrown for 3,508 yards with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for the 7-7 Falcons, which have slim playoff chances with three games to play. He has been picked off in 10 of his 14 games played.
