My oh my, how things have changed for the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins so quickly. In 2023, the Falcons finished the season 7-10 in what some would call a weak but competitive NFC South division. Many believed they were a quarterback away from achieving the “King of the South” moniker. The combination of Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder simply wasn’t good enough for the Dirty Birds. The answer seemed to be to bring in the veteran presence of Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings through free agency to go along with the young, dynamic core offense. Cousins spent the last 6 seasons with the Vikings, leading them to two playoff appearances.
Cousins Time in Atlanta
Cousins signed with the Falcons in the offseason to quite a lucrative deal, the largest free agent deal of 2024. The term was for 4 years, 180 million dollars, with $100 million guaranteed. He was coming off an Achilles injury that ended his 2023 season early, and it may have affected the 36-year-old’s play with the Falcons.
Shortly after signing the former Viking, the Falcons shocked the NFL world by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of the University of Washington with the 8th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Atlanta’s plan was for Penix to sit and learn from the veteran, similar to the Green Bay Packers formula. Well, this plan has been derailed quickly as the team, mainly Cousins, has struggled over the past several weeks.
Cousins and the Falcons are 1-4 in the last five games, dropping to 7-7 and second place in the NFC South. With the NFC North being the best division in football, it looks like the South will only have one representative in the playoffs this season. In those five games, Cousins has thrown nine interceptions to only one touchdown! This is completely unacceptable, but some wonder if it is due to last season’s lingering injury and lack of mobility. The Falcons are a game back of Tampa Bay but have swept the Bucs this season. Now it looks like Atlanta will be sending Cousins “divorce papers,” and the 36-year-old will be collecting his half of the relationship.
Cousins Contract Details
March 17th is an important date for the Falcons, and it’s not to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but they may be feeling hungover from this deal. The date signifies the date they must decide on Cousins’ roster status. According to Adam Schefter, the team would owe him a 10 million dollar roster bonus if he is still employed.
If the Falcons decide to release the quarterback as expected, this would hit the team with a 65 million dollar dead cap hit, the third highest in NFL history behind Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos) and Daniel Jones (New York Giants). Atlanta may try to trade the veteran, but with the high salary and lack of performance, it may be tough to find a partner to trade with.
Final Thoughts
I wrote an article a few weeks ago explaining why the first-place Falcons, at the time, should stick with Kirk Cousins as long as they are in first place. I thought it was a little dramatic for a team at the top of their division hunting for a playoff spot to move to a rookie quarterback, and I still feel that way. But now that Atlanta is chasing the Bucs in the South, Penix needs to be the guy.
Teams usually rally behind a new starting quarterback, and Penix could give the Falcons the spark they need to catch back up to Tampa. I don’t believe Cousins is fully healthy. It may be my Michigan State Spartan bias, but I do believe he will be a starter for another team next season. Don’t be surprised if a team like the Raiders, Giants, or another team at the top of the draft brings him in so their next franchise quarterback can learn under the vet.
