Report: Falcons expected to release Kirk Cousins

The Atlanta Falcons have a big decision to make on quarterback Kirk Cousins before the start of the 2026 NFL league year. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, the Falcons are expected to release Cousins in early March after they restructured his contract, so he will be owed $68 million if he’s on the roster on March 13.

It’s possible the Falcons release Cousins and then re-sign him if he doesn’t find a better option with another team. Cousins worked with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski when he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. At the time, Stefanski was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator.

Kirk Cousins joined the Falcons in 2024, signing a four-year, $180 million contract. Shortly after the move, Atlanta selected Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, leading to some questioning Cousins’ future with the franchise.

Falcons Kevin Stefanski shares thoughts on Kirk Cousins

In 2024, Cousins started 14 games before Penix took over for the final three. This past season, Cousins started eight games (played in 10), taking over for Penix, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. In his two seasons withe Falcons, Cousins has completed 65 percent of his passes for 5,229 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions with an 87.2 passer rating in 24 games with 22 starts.

“Obviously, I have a previous relationship with Kirk, but I don’t know if it’s the time yet to talk about all those types of things,” Stefanski said. “Those conversations will come in due time.”

If the Falcons release Cousins and don’t bring him back, they will need to add a QB to the roster. It would make sense for the team to sign a veteran QB who could be the starter to kick off the season if Penix is not ready to return from his knee injury. Some of the QBs that will be available when free agency begins are Daniel Jones, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Carson Wentz, and Aaron Rodgers. Atlanta finished the 2025 season with an 8-9 record and have not had a winning season since 2017.