With the roster bonus for next year locked in, the Falcons have no incentive to do anything but hold or trade the veteran quarterback.
It’s official: The Atlanta Falcons have paid out a $10 million bonus for Kirk Cousins in 2026, killing the last swirls of the narrative that the team would be forced to cut him. While it has been reported that Kirk Cousins met with Arthur Blank about his future and wants to start somewhere, he’s going to need to wait until a trade materializes for that to happen.
NFL insider Mike Garafolo makes it clear the Falcons, despite the public beating they’ve taken over the Cousins contract and the decision to hold on to him instead of cutting him outright, were never interested in just setting him loose and eating all that money. I suggested as much when he was benched in December, though I viewed (and still view) the team going into the season with Cousins as the backup as a longshot.
The #Falcons were never bluffing here. The $10m for 2026 is subject to offset language, meaning whoever is paying him next year will pick up Atlanta’s tab for part or all of the guarantee. This deadline might cost Atlanta $0 in the end. Worth it to hold him and wait for a trade. https://t.co/GmAcAujFub
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 15, 2025
Essentially there were two interminable feeling waits for Cousins and the Falcons before this, and now we’re entering a new one. The first was seeing when the team would actually bench Cousins, who went an absurdly long time without throwing a touchdown pass while melting down last season. The second was seeing what the Falcons would do with Cousins before that roster bonus deadline and free agency began, and whether they would actually hold on to him. Now that they have, it’s simply about waiting for a trade to come together.
And while my confidence for that outcome in December was probably higher than was warranted, I think it’s quite reasonable now. The Titans, Browns, Steelers, and Giants all need starting quarterbacks in a fairly slim market, and the Vikings, 49ers, and a handful of other teams could use stopgap starters or top backups. Cousins would likely need to see a path to a starting job to waive his no-trade clause, but given that teams are choosing between a quarterback in a weak draft class or the likes of the underwhelming Russell Wilson or ancient Aaron Rodgers, Cousins on what amounts to a fairly reasonable one year deal with an option to cut him loose in 2026 or restructure will likely seem shinier as time goes on and franchises whiff on preferred options. The Falcons will then also likely clear that $10 million roster bonus off their books for 2026, regardless.
When that day comes, we don’t know, and the Falcons have essentially locked themselves into keeping a disgruntled (but still smiling) Cousins should a trade not come to pass. Given that the money is allocated for this year more or less regardless, having veteran insurance in the absolute last resort or getting a modest return to save a lot of money in the future is not a bad crossroads to be at. Team and player simply have to wait to see what options will present themselves.
The Falcons have egg on their face from almost every step of this saga with Cousins, from perhaps not fulling considering his recovery to the tampering penalty to the delayed benching to Cousins’ post-season comments about injury. If you’re going to give them credit for anything besides being aggressive enough to pursue both the top free agent option and draft Michael Penix Jr. last year, give it for not being willing to let public perception or Cousins’ preferences dictate what they did in this situation. If they can only salvage so much, at least they can salvage something.
We’ll see where Cousins ultimately lands and what the Falcons do at backup quarterback should they flip Cousins elsewhere, but the good news is that Penix will be their quarterback of the moment and the future regardless. May he lead us out of the muck and mire.