Free Agent Move Atlanta Falcons Should Have Made, According to SI

The Atlanta Falcons have had well-documented quarterback problems since signing 36-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million contract that would pay him between $90 and $100 million guaranteed across two seasons.

The misallocation of resources to start the regime of head coach Raheem Morris and then 4th-year general manager Terry Fontenot is a big reason owner Arthur Blank decided to clean house after another playoff-less season in Atlanta.

Matt Ryan was brought in as president of football, Kevin Stefanski was hired as the head coach, and Ian Cunningham was brought in as general manager.

One of the first moves the new brain trust made was to make an accounting move to restructure Cousins' contract in exchange for guaranteeing him that he would be released by March 13th. The move didn't save the Falcons any money; it just made it possible for them to be under the salary cap before the new league year started on March 11th and split his $35 million dead cap charge across two seasons.

The Falcons were bailed out in the quarterback market by another team with buyer's remorse. The Miami Dolphins cut Tua Tagovailoa and incurred an NFL record $100 million dead cap charge. Because of offset language in his contract, Tagovailoa will be playing for the Falcons for a league minimum of $1.3 million. Cousins has similar language in his deal for up to $10 million. Meaning, Atlanta could still get up to a $10 million rebate on his contract, depending on how much his next deal is with a new team.

However, Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr futilely argues the Falcons should have done more to keep Cousins around instead of signing Tagovailoa for the league minimum.

"If I were the Falcons, I would have renegotiated or re-signed Kirk Cousins to be my bridge quarterback," Orr wrote on SI. "Tua Tagovailoa is as injury-prone as Michael Penix Jr., and unless Kevin Stefanski has a particular plan to maximize Tagovailoa that Mike McDaniel did not, I feel like he’s going to be a bit of a combustible No. 2 option that doesn’t add much for Penix. Cousins is an expert at preparation and is already familiar with the offense, having played with Stefanski in Minnesota."

Ironically, in a vacuum, Cousins probably was the best option for the Falcons as a bridge quarterback in 2026. But we're not playing Madden here. Cousins was mishandled from almost the moment the pen hit the paper on his contract, and a fresh start was needed for all parties: Cousins, the new regime, and Falcons fans.

Cunningham made it clear at the NFL Combine in February that the team wouldn't be re-signing Cousins, providing both the team and the quarterback clarity heading into free agency.

Cousins was due a $57 million cap hit in 2026. There's no guarantee he would have agreed to take a pay cut to remain, and committing more money to Cousins for a longer period of time didn't make any sense immediately after Penix's injury and doesn't make sense now.

Kirk Cousins made more money in two quarters of football than the Falcons will pay Tagovailoa this year. His offset money could pay for the entire quarterback room for the Falcons in 2026.

Cousins didn't want to be in Atlanta anymore, and the Falcons were ready for a fresh start. Bringing Cousins back and paying him more money wouldn't have sat well with the majority of fans either. It just wasn't going to happen.

Tagovailoa may not be able to stay healthy for 17 games, but at that price, he doesn't need to.

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!