Kirk Cousins finished the 2025 season as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons after Michael Penix Jr. went down with a season-ending ACL injury in Week 11. He is only halfway through his four-year contract worth $180 million, but his future remains uncertain when Penix makes his return.
How Can Kirk Cousins Contract Update Impact His Future with the Falcons?
The Falcons recently made a contract decision that could give a better idea of their plans for the veteran.
Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract with the Falcons, each of which comes with a $57.5 million cap hit. This is a part of the four-year deal he signed with Atlanta during the free agency period ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Despite their major investment, the Falcons also drafted Penix just weeks later and named the rookie their starter before the end of their first season together.
This makes the veteran a costly backup, but ESPN’s Field Yates recently reported that Cousins and the Falcons have agreed to restructure his deal in a way that could significantly impact his future. He explained that they decided to move $32.9 million from 2026 to 2027 and essentially set up a final decision on his future before March 13th, when the league calendar changes years.
“While Cousins and the Falcons could agree to another amended deal to keep him with Atlanta, one logical possibility posited by salary cap experts is the team moving on from Cousins before March 13 via a post-June 1 release,” explained Yates.
He seems to believe the restructured agreement indicates the franchise will likely release him during the 2026 NFL offseason. They are also in need of a new head coach and general manager after firing Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot on Black Monday, which could affect their overall roster decisions. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Cousins’ acknowledgement of the uncertain situation in Atlanta.
“He wants to keep playing and ‘would love to be back’ to be back with the Falcons, but knows there are a lot of factors at play,” reported Garafolo.
Cousins said he wants to keep playing and “would love to be back” to be back with the #Falcons but knows there are a lot of factors at play. Thoughts of the new president/GM/head coach are three big factors. In the meantime, he won’t be twisting in the wind like last offseason. https://t.co/Xwe0VcTUhN
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 6, 2026
Cousins showed that he can still compete as a starting quarterback, finishing one spot higher than Penix in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for the 2025 season. It’s unclear whether he will get another opportunity as a full-time starter, but he can certainly be a reliable veteran presence and a potential bridge quarterback. He figures to have a decent market of interested teams if the Falcons do, in fact, move on from him.
