After what has felt like endless Kirk Cousins drama for the Atlanta Falcons, it appears the fan base finally has a clear answer. The veteran quarterback showed up for minicamp after opting to skip OTAs. This raised some concerns as to whether the veteran was attempting a holdout to force a trade or a release. Cousins has put all of this to bed, speaking at minicamp, sounding far different than anything we've heard from the quarterback's camp in the 2025 offseason.
Cousins made it clear that any desire to leave Atlanta was from early in the team's offseason. Now, the quarterback is completely focused on his efforts to help Michael Penix Jr. and for the Falcons to win an elusive Super Bowl. This is the version of Cousins that fans were used to in the first weeks of the season. The games and offseason rumors that started with the veteran blaming a hidden injury were entirely out of character.
Falcons' Veteran Quarterback Kirk Cousins Is Focusing on Supporting New Starter
Kirk Cousins: “Michael (Penix) is going to do great … I’m here to support him as he needs it.”
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) June 10, 2025
This is the version of the quarterback fans expected after his miserable 2024 season. It is understandable that Cousins wants to earn another chance to start; however, his level of play and current contract simply made it impossible to find a landing spot, barring a team becoming truly desperate.
Cousins changing his outlook speaks to a veteran who, prior to this offseason, has always shied away from any potential drama. While Kirk's assertion that he is focused on helping Atlanta "win a Super Bowl" might be a bit lofty, this is the best version of the quarterback. A player willing to accept his role and accept what almost all athletes are forced to face near the end of their careers. It gives the Falcons much-needed security behind a player whose biggest question mark coming out of the draft was health.
Kirk Cousins said any conversations about him wanting to be somewhere else were for early in the year and now he's focused on helping the #Falcons win a Super Bowl.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) June 10, 2025
Penix dealt with a concerning list of serious injuries in his college career that left the quarterback outside the top three of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. While the Commanders have zero regrets, the other two teams might quickly have remorse for failing to add one of the best arm talents in the league.
If Penix can stay healthy, the starter is going to establish himself as a top-ten starter in this league. However, if the same issues emerge that haunted the quarterback in college, the Falcons have the benefit of turning back to Cousins. Add in the value of having an experienced veteran on the bench helping Penix, and it is clear why the team has chosen its current path, remaining content to keep the historically paid backup.