The Atlanta Falcons biggest storyline over the past two seasons has been the status of Kirk Cousins. At this time one year ago, Cousins was showing up to his first mandatory minicamp in Flowery Branch with a brand new, $180 million contract in hand. But this year, he’s waiting for a team to get him out of his iron-clad deal after being benched in favor of Michael Penix Jr. last December.
Penix is slated to be the Falcons’ starter in 2025, and Cousins has asked for a trade to a team that will let him start somewhere else. While Cousins has sent a message several times this offseason, the Falcons aren’t listening, and he may be finally waiving the white flag as he looks ahead to next season.
Kirk Cousins Plans to Report to Falcons Minicamp
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Cousins is planning to report when the Falcons begin minicamp this week. While Cousins attended voluntary workouts in April, he did not attend workouts last month, and Russini states that his preference is to be traded to a team that allows him to start.
The Falcons expect Kirk Cousins to show up for Atlanta’s mandatory minicamp tomorrow, sources say.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) June 9, 2025
Cousins did not attend the team’s voluntary OTAs in late May, but was present for workouts in April.
His preference is still to be traded to a team where he could start. pic.twitter.com/ehC6TNqMAt
While Cousins may still be holding out hope for a trade, showing up for minicamp does two things. First, it keeps him from being fined for missing the workouts, which checks out for a player that has the sixth-highest career earnings of all-time at $294.1 million. More importantly, it’s waiving the white flag that he has no control over his situation and may have to accept his fate as Atlanta’s backup quarterback.
Cousins’s contract signed last offseason, follows a pattern that he’s taken over his career. Instead of long-term contracts where teams can be flexible, he has demanded short-term, fully-guaranteed deals. Cousins relented when the Minnesota Vikings decided to move on next season, as $100 million of his $180 million contract is guaranteed. But it also had a March deadline for a $10 million roster bonus to be paid in 2026, essentially locking his next team into a long-term commitment. While teams may be looking to upgrade their starting quarterback situations, none have been willing to take on the remaining money on Cousins’s deal.
This is not surprising as Cousins tossed an NFL-high 16 interceptions in 14 games before being benched last season and is set to turn 37 in August. With the Falcons unwilling to release him, Cousins’s iron-clad contracts have finally backfired as other teams have filled their starting quarterback vacancies for the upcoming season.
Of course, Cousins could be forcing the Falcons' hand if they don’t want him to show up to minicamp. But the Falcons haven’t shown any hint of backing down as general manager Terry Fontenot has vowed to be “patient” with the situation. This leaves Cousins with one choice and shows up as minicamp begins.