Sportsnaut
The Atlanta Falcons surprised the football world last year by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft after shelling out a four-year, $180 million contract to Kirk Cousins, with $100 million guaranteed. Even more shocking is that the Falcons haven’t traded Cousins after benching him for Penix late in the season.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano reveals that “stubbornness” is the likely culprit why the Falcons haven’t moved on from Cousins.
“They signed Cousins for $100 million in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn’t thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024,” reports Graziano. “And when it came time to talk trade, the Falcons were asking interested teams to pay a significant portion of that remaining $37.5 million in guaranteed money. That meant those teams weren’t offering the Falcons a return that Atlanta deemed worthwhile.”
Cousins led the Falcons to a 7-7 record before getting benched for Penix. He finished the season completing 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions. He threw nine picks in his last five starts, including four in a Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Cousins will receive $27.5 million in guaranteed salary this season, and that’s on top of the $10 million 2026 roster bonus he received since he was on Atlanta’s roster five days into the new league year.
Despite the enormous salary, Graziano states that the Falcons could still trade Cousins at some point this offseason.
“If Aaron Rodgers decides he doesn’t want to play for the Steelers, Pittsburgh could get interested,” notes Graziano. “If another team’s starter gets hurt in minicamp or training camp, a fresh market could emerge.”
However, it’s looking more likely Cousins will spend the entire 2025 season as a nearly $30 million backup for the Falcons.
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