For the Atlanta Falcons, it feels like the 2025 season doesn’t start until one lingering question is answered: What will the team do with the 180 million dollar man under center?
Kirk Cousins has made it clear that if he is not starting for the NFC South runner-ups, he would like to be moved. Despite his demands being made very publicly, the team has made no progress toward dealing the four-time pro bowler. Now, ESPN’s Don Graziano predicts that the tides are shifting towards the 36-year-old staying put in 2025.
“So why didn’t the Falcons cut bait here?” asks Graziano. “Stubbornness likely had something to do with it. They signed Cousins for $100 million in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn’t thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024.”
Graziano then presents a case for why teams weren’t interested in a move for Cousins, stating that the Falcons were asking for potential suitors to take on a great deal of his $37.5 million guaranteed next season.
Graziano’s Case For Keeping Cousins
As any football fan knows, the timeline for these sort of moves is typically January-March. Graziano says by neglecting to move Cousins before this date, the team willingly forked over $10 million in a roster bonus this Spring.
This is part of the reason that Graziano believes it’s starting to become apparent that Cousins is going to be a piece of the puzzle for Atlanta next season.
“At this point, the Falcons maintain that they’re comfortable with Cousins as a $27.5 million backup,” Graziano reports. “Sure, his salary cap number is $40 million, but Penix’s is only $5.2 million. If you add those two figures together, it’s not a ridiculous amount to allocate to the most important position.”
Though it doesn’t exactly make sense money wise, Graziano thinks we would all be wise to live by the universal law: if someone tells you who they are, believe them.
“But given the way the offseason has gone, it’s probably time we took the Falcons at their word when they say they’re fine keeping Cousins as the backup in 2025,” Graziano concluded.
The Trade Market Is Never Closed
His trade value isn’t completely diminished. As we all know, even the quarterback isn’t immune to injury in football. Last season alone we saw Derek Carr, Dak Prescott, and Tua Tagovailoa miss significant time for three teams that were kept out of the playoffs.
“Cousins could still end up traded before the season,” Graziano continued. “If Aaron Rodgers decides he doesn’t want to play for the Steelers, Pittsburgh could get interested. If another team’s starter gets hurt in minicamp or training camp, a fresh market could emerge.”
SI’s Dave Holcomb believes this strategy could prove to be fruitful in the end. Stating that he believes the team needs to set their sights on replenishing the first round draft pick they gave up to get James Pearce on board.
“There are also business reasons for the Falcons to have kept Cousins,” Holcomb teased. “If a contender suffers an injury at quarterback this summer, Cousins could be very valuable on the NFL trade market.”
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