Kirk Cousins has addressed the speculation surrounding his future with the Atlanta Falcons, offering some clarity — but not definitive answers — about what’s next for him.
Speaking on the Feb. 4 episode of “Good Morning Football,” the veteran quarterback acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his status with the team but emphasized that his primary focus remains on getting healthy.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins Talks Atlanta Falcons Future
While rumors suggest a potential split between the $180 million quarterback and the franchise, Cousins said he’s no good to any team in his current shape.
“I definitely feel like I have a lot of good football left in me,” Cousins said of his Falcons future. “Time will tell. It’s still kind of uncertain. We’ll get to March and know a lot more. But I think the focus for me really is getting healthy. That’s really my focus is I gotta get healthy.
“I’m no good to the Falcons; I’m no good to a team if I’m not feeling really good. That’s really where my focus has been through January and February now that the season has wound down, really taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good.”
"I definitely still feel like I have a lot of good football left in me."@KirkCousins8 discusses his future. pic.twitter.com/59gICcoyBE
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 4, 2025
Cousins’ Struggles Foil Falcons Quarterback Plans
The Falcons went into the 2024 NFL season with an unusual plan. They drafted Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall after giving Cousins, 36 and coming off an Achilles injury, a four-year, $180 million contract.
This suggests that Atlanta brass envisioned Penix learning under Cousins for a few seasons. Unfortunately, the Falcons’ fans’ worst fears manifested.
The experience gave Cousins the starting nod, but he struggled through 15 weeks — so much so that Atlanta benched the four-time Pro Bowler in favor of the rookie Penix.
Among 39 quarterbacks to start a game this season, Cousins was sandwiched at 24th in PFN’s QB+ metrics between the Indianapolis Colts’ Joe Flacco and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Mac Jones.
NFL Landing Spots for Cousins, Should Falcons Seek Trade Partner
By their own doing, the Falcons are contractually between a rock and a hard place.
Cousins’ deal cements him among the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL by average annual value (AAV). He sits behind Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, and Deshaun Watson, while Cousins’ figure is tied with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and just above the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen.
The most favorable scenario for Atlanta this offseason would be trading Cousins after June 1. According to Over the Cap, a timely trade would minimize dead money on the salary cap docket to just $12.5 million per year for any remaining years of the deal due to Cousins’ signing bonus. Without that post-June 1 designation, the Falcons would incur $65 million in dead money.
Per @spotrac, Kirk Cousins’ $27.5 million salary for 2025 is fully guaranteed.
The Falcons would incur $65 million in dead money by trading or releasing him without a post-June 1 designation.
Only Russell Wilson has had a larger dead cap hit in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/ydWfqd03Za
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 18, 2024
But that path has its challenges. Cousins’ contract includes a no-trade clause, which means he can block any move the Falcons make. They would need his approval, even if Atlanta wanted to deal with him.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pitched the Browns as a potential landing spot for Cousins, given his connection with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who worked as his quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator.
Other quarterback-needy teams are the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers.