The final score read 19-17, but it did not quite capture the weight of the moment. On Sunday evening in New Orleans, the Atlanta Falcons walked off the field with a win that felt equal parts satisfying and bittersweet. They finished the 2025 season with the same record as the Carolina Panthers, yet tiebreakers kept Atlanta out of the postseason.
The season ended not with confetti or clarity, but with questions lingering in the air. Chief among them: What happens next with Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins on His Future With the Falcons
The veteran quarterback had spent much of the year living in that in-between space. He began the season as a placeholder, then became a necessity after rookie Michael Penix Jr.’s promising debut year came to a sudden halt with a torn ACL in his left knee. What followed was an eight-game stretch that, while far from spectacular, stabilized a team that had been reeling.
Asked whether Sunday’s win could be his final game in an Atlanta Falcons uniform, Kirk Cousins said:
“Hard to know. Hard to know,” Cousins said, via NBC Sports. “I would like to keep playing, but we’ll see how things play out in March or even after that. I would love to be back here. We’ll see how things play out. At this point, just see how it goes.”
The ambiguity mirrors the Falcons’ own dilemma. Cousins’ contract includes a non-guaranteed $35 million salary for the 2026 season, along with a $10 million roster bonus due in March if he remains on the team. Retaining him would give Atlanta experienced insurance as Penix continues his recovery, but it would come at a steep cost for a quarterback who may no longer be viewed as the long-term answer.
Atlanta went 5-3 in games Cousins started, including a four-game winning streak to close the season, which nearly carried the Falcons into the playoffs.
Over 10 total appearances in 2025, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, throwing 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. His role was largely that of a game manager, tasked with limiting mistakes and keeping the offense on schedule rather than carrying it. PFSN’s QB Impact Metric gives him a score of 73.4 with a C grade.
The bigger picture, however, looms over everything. Penix is expected to return in 2026, and while his recovery timeline is still coming into focus, the organization views him as the future. That reality raises the possibility that Cousins could find himself again in a backup role or be released altogether if Atlanta decides the financial commitment is not justified.
