The Atlanta Falcons ended the season with a four-game winning streak, and although it was on a high note, they immediately started their offseason plans. They’re addressing their quarterback room, starting with Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins Contract and Restructure
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal with $180 million back in March of 2024. The deal included $100 million guaranteed. According to Terrin Waack of the official team site, Field Yates of ESPN reported that both Cousins and the Falcons agreed to a contract restructure.
The details of the restructure are that the base salary for Cousins’ 2026 season has been reduced to $2.1 million from its original $35 million, and the difference in money would be added to his 2027 base salary, which will now be $67.9 million.
Cousins reportedly talked about the restructure of his contract and future in Atlanta, saying,
“I would love to be back here. We’ll see how things play out. At this point, you kind of just see where it goes.”
Cousins has two years left on his deal.
Kirk Cousins Falcons Tenure
When Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons in March of 2024, the plan seemed to be that he would be the starter going forward. They then drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That surprised some people, as they had just signed a quarterback, but they were trying to plan for the future, which is not uncommon among NFL teams. Cousins as the starter, Penix Jr. as the backup, at least starting.
Cousins started the 2024 season as the starter and did pretty well, starting 14 games. Over the course of the season, Cousins threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.
His best was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week five, where he threw for 509 yards and four touchdowns to one interception. Atlanta Won the game 36-30 in overtime. Cousins was even named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. An elbow injury suffered later in the season led to a decline in his play, resulting in his benching.
Cousins had to fill in for Penix Jr. this season due to injury in Week eight against the Miami Dolphins. Also in Week 11, when Penix Jr. tore his ACL against the Carolina Panthers and Cousins has been starting since. This season, Cousins threw for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions.
Why It Was Smart To Keep Cousins
It was smart for the Falcons to have Cousins on their roster because they need a solid starter while Penix Jr. is recovering from injury, as he may not be ready for the start of the season in 2026 or maybe even the entire season.
So it’d be good to have him as insurance. It would be challenging to trade Cousins, given his contract and trade value. With the injury to Penix Jr., that’s even more reason for him to remain on the roster in 2026.
Additionally, Cousins is a valuable veteran presence, and whoever the next coach is, he can help change the team’s culture.
