Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Falcons make big decision on Kirk Cousins' future

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 9:02 AM ET

Kirk Cousins lost his starting job last season after the Atlanta Falcons signed him to a massive contract, but the veteran quarterback is not going anywhere — at least for now.

The Falcons chose to keep Cousins on their roster through Saturday, which triggered a $10M roster bonus due in 2026. While that does not necessarily mean Cousins will remain with Atlanta into next season, ESPN's Adam Schefter notes that there is no reason for the Falcons to rush any decision.

Kirk Cousins, who was benched with just three games left last season in favor of Michael Penix, Jr., has been the topic of trade speculation. With Atlanta’s decision official, it removes any need for the Falcons to rush any decision on Cousins’ future, be it staying on the team,… https://t.co/WtD5jCCtWf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2025

Even if the Falcons released Cousins before Thursday's deadline, they already owed him $90M guaranteed from the four-year, $180M deal he signed last offseason. They are essentially choosing to take another $10M hit, so they still have the option of trading Cousins, allowing them to get out from at least some of the remainder of the contract.

Cousins lost his job to 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. late last season. The 36-year-old would undoubtedly rather have a chance to start somewhere in 2025, but all indications have been that the relationship between Cousins, Penix and the Falcons is fine.

Cousins started pretty strong with Atlanta last season, but he had a brutal stretch of play in the middle of the year. He finished with 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The Falcons could be hoping that another team that misses out on their top quarterback option will be interested in trading for Cousins. The Falcons have left that option open by keeping Cousins on the roster longer.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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