One game can completely change the perception of a team — and a player. That’s exactly what happened after the Atlanta Falcons upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28 in Week 15. The Falcons — and their veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins — now have a future to think about.
Cousins had become an afterthought by the end of the 2024 season. Many around the league believed the 37-year-old was finished, with the remainder of his career destined for the bench or retirement.
Coming off a torn Achilles in 2023, followed by arm and shoulder injuries in 2024, Cousins endured a brutal stretch that ultimately led to his benching. By that point, head coach Raheem Morris had already made his decision for 2025, naming Michael Penix Jr. the starter.
Penix made just three starts in 2024, but that was enough for Morris and the staff to commit to him. Even after Penix struggled early in the season, Morris remained firm that the job was his — and that Cousins had lost it the year prior.
Fast forward 14 games into the 2025 season, and Cousins is preparing to make his sixth start, this time against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. But the bigger question now centers on 2026.
Raheem Morris Gets Asked About Kirk Cousins Starting in 2026
The questions were inevitable after Cousins’ performance against Tampa Bay. He completed 30 of 44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against the division’s top team — on the road.
That was the version of Cousins many hoped Atlanta would see consistently. So is that version of Cousins back? And more importantly, will he be back donning a Falcons uniform in 2026?
That question carries extra weight considering Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending ACL injury and is expected to miss at least part of next season.
“Everything is on the table,” Morris said, via Terrin Waack. “Obviously we all sit down at the end of the season and we’ll have all those discussions, we’ll talk about all those things. That certainly will be a part of it.
“When we went down the journey of Kirk Cousins, we planned on the amount of years that we put in his contract, and hopefully, we were able to potentially get more. So, we’ll see where that goes and all those types of things. But that’s definitely up for discussion once we get to the end of the season. We know we’ll get Mike back next year. But that’ll definitely be up for discussion.”
Kirk Cousins’ Contract Situation With Falcons
At one point, it appeared the Falcons were prepared to ride with Cousins for the full four years after he signed his $180 million deal in 2024. Instead, he didn’t make it through a full season before being benched for Penix — a surprise first-round pick that left even Cousins stunned.
That left Cousins as the league’s most expensive backup quarterback in 2025, earning $40 million while watching from the sideline.
“I never thought he wasn’t a valuable starting quarterback,” Morris said, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “He just didn’t play that way at the end of last year when we needed it most, and that’s what forced me to make the switch.”
Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract, each carrying a $57.5 million cap hit. With the Falcons also facing decisions on multiple pending free agents, Cousins’ place in Atlanta’s long-term plans is far from settled. A reworked deal, a trade, or a release all remain possibilities, with all likely creating some sort of financial strain on Atlanta.
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