Kirk Cousins’ chances of finding a new home all but disappeared Thursday after Aaron Rodgers finally decided he was signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rodgers had kept the Steelers guessing all offseason up to that point, citing mostly personal reasons for his delay in signing. The belief was that Pittsburgh would pivot toward Cousins if the former Packers and Jets quarterback opted to retire.
At this point, it appears the Falcons and Cousins will continue their relationship—unless something drastic happens and a team loses a starting quarterback, forcing a deal, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested.
However, the lingering question circles back to Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot saying the team was “very comfortable” with Cousins serving as the backup behind Michael Penix Jr.
Perhaps that’s truly the case. Or maybe Fontenot and the Falcons knew all along that they weren’t going to find any team willing to help pay Cousins’ $27.5 million salary for the 2025 season.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes it may be best for the Falcons to hold onto Cousins, avoiding what could be a nightmare scenario if Penix falters.
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“They move on from Kirk Cousins, who stands out elsewhere while Michael Penix Jr. struggles in his first full year as starting quarterback,” Gagnon wrote.
Considering the Falcons’ recent luck with quarterbacks, this would be a disastrous outcome—one that would have the media devouring Atlanta’s front office. That’s perhaps why Fontenot’s comment should be taken at face value. After all, Penix has only three NFL starts to his name.
Another factor is Penix’s long injury history dating back to college, which includes two ACL tears in his right knee. Without a full NFL season under his belt, the Falcons have every reason to be cautious with their quarterback room. Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris can’t afford to oversee an eighth straight season without a playoff appearance.
We’ll know more about the team’s plans for Cousins once mandatory minicamp begins. The veteran quarterback has chosen to skip Atlanta’s OTAs.