Falcons would need potential Kirk Cousins suitor to absorb remaining salary

Cousins still has the desire to be a starter in the NFL, but – just like it was in the offseason – his massive contract is an insurmountable obstacle to a trade anytime soon. The Falcons would need a potential trade partner to take on the remainder of his fully guaranteed $27.5M salary this season, said Russini on her podcast, Scoop City.

After two weeks, that number is down to $24.44M and will drop by $1.53M each week for the rest of the year. Currently, only five teams have enough cap space for Cousins’ salary, per OverTheCap, though others can use restructures to free up enough room. Two of those five are the Commanders and the 49ers, who are both dealing with injuries to their starter quarterbacks but already have preferred replacements in place. 

That’s also the case in Minnesota, where the Vikings have less than $16M in cap space with Carson Wentz ready to step in for J.J. McCarthy. Cousins is also owed $10M in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season, meaning that a trade this year would be a multi-year financial commitment.

Regardless of cap space, though, it’s clear that other teams see Cousins’ contract as a poison pill. Some may not be interested it all with the belief that his best days are behind him, according to Scoop City co-host James Palmer.

By the trade deadline, Cousins’ remaining salary will be down to a more manageable $13.75M, and teams still looking for a quarterback upgrade at that juncture may be more desperate. Still, he would need to be viewed as an upgrade to those squads’ other options, and his 2025 tape is unlikely to inspire much confidence. Cousins won’t see the field enough before the deadline to change that perception, either. As a result, he should remain with the Falcons this year with the two sides likely targeting a parting of ways next offseason.