Buccaneers’ rival Falcons make decision on quarterback situation with Kirk Cousins

The Atlanta Falcons had a disappointing 2024 campaign. Much of the optimism going into the season stemmed from the team signing free agent veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million contract — thought by many to be the missing piece for a roster flush with young talent at various skilled positions.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, Cousins — who was working his way back from a torn achilles the previous year — got worse as the season went along. And instead of acting as a catalyst for the Falcons' resurgence, his underwhelming play proved to be the root cause of their demise.

Thankfully for Atlanta, they drafted a promising quarterback prospect in MIchael Penix Jr., who looked good when given an opportunity in the final weeks of the season once the Falcons finally made the decision to move Cousins to the bench.

But still, it was too little, too late. Atlanta missed the playoffs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the NFC South for a fourth consecutive season.

Looking ahead to 2025, many believed that it was a foregone conclusion that the Falcons would cut their losses and move on from their overpriced quarterback, officially handing the keys over to Penix.

Well, apparently that isn't their plan after all.

During his press conference on the opening day of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Falcons' GM Terry Fontenot told the media that the team plans to retain Kirk Cousins as their backup quarterback at his current price tag of $27.5 million, which is also set to trigger an additional $10 million which will become fully guaranteed for 2026 by March 17th.

#Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said they’re comfortable keeping Kirk Cousins as the backup, paying him $27.5M in 2025 while also triggering another $10M to become fully guaranteed for 2026 on March 17. pic.twitter.com/atkxhppqOR
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 25, 2025

The fact that Atlanta is making the decision to retain Kirk Cousins services after the season he just put together, in addition to his age, performance, and injury history, is quite surprising. It's also music to the ears of the rest of the NFC South, as Atlanta will have obvious financial restraints — Cousins' cap hit is projected to be $40 million this year — as the team looks to build up a roster that came up short last season despite lofty expectations.

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