The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly expected to release quarterback Kirk Cousins before the new league year begins on March 11. Cousins is no longer a QB who dominates highlight reels, but he is the kind who quietly wins games. And in New York, where the Jets are once again staring at the blank space where their franchise quarterback should be, that might be enough.
Kirk Cousins Fits Jets’ Timeline as 2026 QB Options Thin
Statistically, Kirk Cousins’ 2025 season landed somewhere between steady and spectacular. He has a 70.1 PFSN QB Impact score. Nevertheless, in a year when quarterback musical chairs could leave several teams standing awkwardly without a seat, competence has real value.
When Cousins became Atlanta’s temporary QB1 from Week 12 through Week 18, he went 5-2 with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions. It was not the kind of football that would trend on social media, but it did keep the season afloat.
On the other side, the Jets know how quickly all of it can unravel. Justin Fields entered 2025 as the Week 1 starter, carrying familiar hope. The athleticism was incredible at times. The inconsistency there.
Eventually, predictably, he was benched. Brady Cook, an undrafted rookie, looked exactly like one in limited action, and Tyrod Taylor remains a capable veteran backup rather than a long-term answer. Once again, the Jets find themselves quarterback-curious in a draft class that doesn’t offer an obvious solution at the top. That part matters.
The Jets hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, but this year’s class is widely seen as light on top-tier quarterback prospects. Reaching for a passer that high without conviction would feel like forcing a relationship that was never meant to last. Cousins, should he hit the market, would give them breathing room, according to PFSN.
Signing him would allow the Jets to draft a developmental quarterback on Day 2 without rushing the timeline. Or they could wait until 2027 to pursue their long-term answer. Either way, Cousins becomes a steady hand in the meantime, the adult in the room.
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The recent hiring of Frank Reich as offensive coordinator adds to this. Reich has long favored structure, timing, and quarterbacks who operate comfortably within rhythm-based systems. Cousins has built a career on exactly that. He may not improvise like Fields, but he processes quickly, distributes accuratel,y and understands how to manage a game without letting it spiral.
