Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports that the Falcons confirmed to veteran QB Kirk Cousins that he will be released on the first day of the league year.
“Out of respect for Kirk and Michael, felt like that was the right decision,” said Falcons GM Ian Cunningham.
“We won’t re-sign Kirk,” Cunningham confirmed.
Cousins and Atlanta mutually agreed to restructure the remaining two years of his deal, and if he remains on the roster on March 13th, the Falcons will owe him $67.9 million in 2027. He agreed to reduce his 2026 base salary from $35 million to $2.1 million. In return, there is a $67.9 million vesting guarantee for the 2027 season, due on March 13.
By reducing Cousins’ base salary, the Falcons ensure they can get the benefit of a June 1 cut — spreading the dead money over two seasons instead of one — without waiting until June 1 for those savings to kick in.
The guarantee is a protection for Cousins, ensuring he’s released by that date. Cousins could still agree to a new deal before then, but given the regime change and how things transpired the past couple of years, it’s likely that both Atlanta and Cousins will welcome a fresh start in 2026. Given the number of teams expected to be in the quarterback market, there’s a good chance Cousins can find another starting role.
Cousins, 37, is a former fourth-round pick of Washington back in 2012. He played out the final year of his rookie contract before being franchised in back-to-back seasons.
Cousins later departed in free agency for a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings. He was entering the final year of his contract in 2020 when he agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension. In 2021, he agreed to a new one-year, $35 million contract extension that was also fully guaranteed.
He was in the final year of that deal in 2023 and was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent when signing with the Falcons this offseason. He inked a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guaranteed money.
In 2025, Cousins appeared in 10 games for the Falcons, starting eight, and completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
We’ll have more on Cousins as the news is available.
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