With the start of free agency just under one week away, the standoff between Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons is heating up. The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract at this time a year ago, but the 36-year-old lasted just 14 games before being benched for rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
With Cousins no longer the starter in Atlanta, it has been widely speculated that the Falcons will swallow their pride and release him before he’s due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17. But the Falcons have repeatedly stated their intention to keep Cousins, and it’s a situation that had another interesting chapter written this week.
Adam Schefter Believes the Falcons Aren’t Letting Kirk Cousins Go Anywhere
ESPN’s Adam Schefter discussed the Cousins situation on the latest episode of his podcast and while he cited general manager Terry Fontenot’s statement that “nothing has changed” regarding Cousins’s status with the Falcons, he also sounded like it was more than just a bluff to drive up trade value.
“They’re not letting him go anywhere,” Schefter said. “We’ll see if they continue to uphold that stance in the days and weeks to come. Kirk Cousins obviously, I’m sure, doesn’t want to be there. He wants a chance to play. But by the time Atlanta moves off him, if it even moves off him, these musical chairs might be filled up with other players. And that’s why I’m sure Kirk Cousins would rather be let go sooner rather than later. But because of the money they paid him a year ago in free agency, he may not get that wish.”
Schefter’s observations are the latest developments in a feud that has gotten ugly. The Falcons landed the first blow when Fontenot said he would be “very comfortable” with Cousins returning as the backup next season shortly after the season ended. Cousins retaliated by stating he had shoulder and elbow injuries that hindered his performance in the final stretch of the season, exposing Atlanta to potential punishment as it was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Cousins also covered up a Falcons logo with a plain black t-shirt at an event during Super Bowl week and Fontenot counter-punched with his statements at last week’s combine.
While both sides have thrown haymakers, the Falcons could land the final blow if they decide to eat the $10 million roster bonus and make Cousins sit. There are plenty of suitors that could use Cousins to solidify the quarterback position, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts, but those teams need Cousins to become available – whether by trade or release – to bring him into the building.
If the Falcons say no, Cousins could watch helplessly as all teams fill their quarterback needs, leading him to either return to Atlanta or enter a quarterback market with much fewer options than there will be when free agency opens next week.
It’s a situation where the Falcons hold the hammer while deciding Cousins’s future and could get the knockout blow in a relationship that has turned into a slugfest.