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Kirk Cousins #18 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the New York Giants.
The Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins spent six seasons together, with the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback going 50-37-1 during his tenure. But when the time came to re-up ahead of or during the 2024 offseason, both sides held to their lines in the sand.

Cousins bolted for the Atlanta Falcons and a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency.

However, less than one year into the deal, Cousins has been benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix. The veteran’s future outlook is not much brighter amid a new report.

“The Falcons have floated the idea behind the scenes that they could keep both Cousins and Penix during the 2025 season because Penix’s rookie contract gives them financial flexibility, but that would require Cousins to accept a backup role,” The Athletic’s Josh Kendell wrote in an article from January 6.

“If the Falcons can find a trade partner acceptable to Cousins, who has a no-trade clause, they could get his cap hit down to $37.5 million. If Cousins plays for Atlanta, he’ll have a $40 million cap hit next season.”

Cousins was all smiles about his fresh start during his introductory press conference.

But he completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards with 18 passing touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions in 2024. He went 7-7 as the Falcons’ starting quarterback.

NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that releasing Cousins is not on the Falcons’ radar.

“What happens to Kirk Cousins? Well, he’s under contract. He has some guaranteed money. From what I understand, the Falcons are not just going to release him. They will listen to teams in regards to trade offers. But they want to get something back from that deal, and they’re willing to bring him back as a backup quarterback if it doesn’t happen that way,” Wolfe reported on January 6.

“The Michael Penix era has started and it will continue in Atlanta, and we will see this offseason if a team is interested in paying for Kirk Cousins.”

Kirk Cousins Has Made a Historic Amount of Money

Cousins was once the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback after signing a three-year, $84 million contract extension with the Vikings in 2018. According to Over The Cap, he has the sixth-highest career earnings in NFL history.

His best hope is for the Falcons to choose to release him, possibly with a post-June 1 designation to hedge their losses.

That would allow him to sign with a team of his choice and at a discount.

Cousins still holds some power thanks to his no-trade clause. But the Falcons’ stance on potentially bringing him back could lead to an untenable situation. Penix has commended Cousins’ efforts to help him along.

The veteran did not mince words when discussing his playing future. It could be in Atlanta with the Falcons or, most likely, a new team in 2025.