The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a fascinating offseason. While they lost key veterans like Drew Dalman and Grady Jarrett, plenty of their free agents remain unsigned, including Justin Simmons, Lorenzo Carter, Matthew Judon, and Dee Alford. What will happen with these key defenders will be fascinating to watch, but their biggest offseason question remains Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta's standoff with Cousins continued over the weekend when the Falcons allowed an important deadline to pass. Cousins guaranteed his $10 million roster bonus for 2026 by being on the roster through Saturday afternoon. The 36-year-old continues to have a base salary of $27.5 million for 2025 and a cap hit of $40 million on Atlanta's books.
Per the latest reports, the Falcons are adamant in their unwillingness to trade Cousins. People around the league thought GM Terry Fontenot and the front office were bluffing when they claimed they would go into the season with Cousins as their QB2. The organization is trying to do everything it can to prove they are, in fact, serious.
Falcons Are Making a Huge Gamble With Kirk Cousins Trade Leverage
This is a risky gamble for the Falcons. On one side, their desire to maintain trade leverage is understandable. They want to get something in return for Cousins instead of paying his salary for him to play somewhere else. On the other hand, the Falcons are handcuffing themselves with this decision.
Now, Atlanta isn't signing a top-end backup quarterback for Michael Penix Jr. because they are standing behind their "Cousins is our backup" statement. Quality backups are quickly signing new contracts. Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston, and Drew Lock will all surely find new homes over the next week or so.
If the Falcons succeed in trading Cousins, they will need to sign a competent backup behind Penix. There is a good chance there will not be any left.
This could be a disastrous situation that could backfire for Atlanta. Penix is still a young and unproven quarterback who is starting his second season in the NFL. If he can't make the jump the Falcons are hoping for, their quarterback situation could turn ugly because of this risky Cousins gamble.