Outside of Shedeur Sanders, one of the big topics during the recent 2025 NFL Draft was the fate of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s well-documented that Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract in the 2024 offseason that contains $100 million in guaranteed money and a no-trade clause. Well, after they drafted Michael Penix, Jr. in the draft, the Cousins contract made no sense.
Whether the Falcons were asking too much or other teams weren’t that interested doesn’t really matter. The bottom line is that Cousins didn’t get moved during the draft and he’s now looking at being a $27 million aging backup quarterback, which neither the Falcons nor Cousins wants.
The Falcons told people in and around the draft that they were content to keep Cousins on the roster moving into the season, which no one believes.
Fontenot preaches patience
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot (who needs to start winning now) went on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio on Tuesday and he explained the situation.
“We just have to be patient there,” Fontenot said. “We’re always open — not just talking about Kirk, but with really anybody on our roster — we have a lot of those calls. I’ve probably talked to already six or seven GMs since the draft has ended, and they’re talking about their roster, we’re talking about our roster. Because after you get through the draft, that shifts some things in terms of needs and surplus and all that.
“So, we’re always patient with those types of things because if something comes to us with Kirk or any other player that makes sense and it’s gonna help this team, then we’re gonna be aggressive and we’re going to do it. And if it’s not something that’s gonna ultimately help this team, we always have to ask that question: Is it the best for the Atlanta Falcons, for this organization? And if it is, we’re gonna be willing to do it, but all that communication is always ongoing.”
What’s next for Cousins?
The Falcons – and Cousins – are in a bind. The Falcons absolutely don’t want a 36-year old, $27 million (with a $40 million cap charge) backup quarterback on the roster. Is it a good safety net if Penix stumbles or gets injured? Sure, but that’s one expensive net. And, Cousins doesn’t want to be a backup, he wants to play. It’s in both parties’ best interests to see a trade happen.
At this point, the most likely scenario is that the Falcons are indeed being patient as they wait for a possible training camp injury a la Teddy Bridgewater years ago. Of course, no one is rooting for someone to get hurt, but it’s professional sports and injuries happen all the time. In 1999, the Rams got beyond lucky when they lost Trent Green for the season and they had to cross their fingers on an unknown quarterback named Kurt Warner. Today if that happened, they might be calling Atlanta.
So, Fontenot is correct in preaching patience. The Falcons don’t really have another choice at this point outside of keeping him on the roster as a backup.
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