When all the dust settles, the Atlanta Falcons’ partnership with Kirk Cousins just might go down as the worst NFL free agent signing in recent memory.
There were already a ton of red flags when the Falcons decided to hand the 36-year-old quarterback a four-year, $180-million contract with $100-million in guaranteed money back in March. For starters, Cousins was coming off a torn achilles that he had suffered less than five months earlier while playing for the Vikings.
Atlanta was also scrutinized for refusing to make a run at Lamar Jackson during the previous offseason because they were unwilling to may him because he was “injury prone” — only to give a much older Cousins a very similar contract despite his own history of injuries.
And then, to top if all off, just a month after singing Cousins, the team went as used their eighth-overall pick in the draft on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Critics were going hard at the Falcons for their questionable decisions, and now it appears as though all the scrutiny was justified as Atlanta is now set to release Kirk Cousins before his $10-million roster bonus kicks in on March 17.
The move will pave the way for Penix to take over under center for the Falcons, but it’ll cost them, as they team will end up paying Cousins nearly $90-million for only 14 games and 18 touchdowns.
What’s Next For Kirk Cousins
For now, it appears as though Cousins will remain a backup with the Falcons as he mentors Penix for the remainder of the 2024 season.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen to the four-time Pro Bowler. There should be at least a few quarterback-needy teams around the league who might consider giving Kirk a shot at their starting role for 2025, but he’ll have to prove that he still has something left in the tank after struggling in 2024.
