The Kirk Cousins Saga Has Another Twist
Because he has a no-trade clause, the Atlanta Falcons might have to outright release him.
The Kirk Cousins Saga Has Another Twist
That’s the latest development on Kirk Cousins’ future in Atlanta, an experiment that soured last December. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cousins could be released, creating a Russell Wilson-like free-agent process in a few weeks.
Schefter said on NFL Live Wednesday, “The Falcons have said that they don’t know about trading him. They’re going to need Kirk Cousins’ cooperation to get a trade. And I would think that that’s going to be hard to get, which sets up the real possibility that they wind up releasing him even though the organization hasn’t gotten to that point yet, and hasn’t said that it’s willing to move on from him.”
That’s the power of a no-trade clause.
“This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver decided, ultimately, to move on from him when it said it wouldn’t necessarily do that. They released him, he wound up signing a one-year deal at a low salary in Pittsburgh,” Schefter continued.
Cousins’ Falcons started 6-3 in 2024 before collapsing altogether and missing the postseason by one game. Atlanta even benched Cousins for rookie passer Michael Penix Jr., and he will start Week 1 of 2025, not Cousins.
“That’s how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold with the Falcons releasing Kirk Cousins right around the start of the new league year with him becoming a free agent and with him finding a new home,” Schefter concluded.
Also this week, Cousins spoke to NFL.com about his offseason plans and overall future, focusing on his health. “I definitely feel like I have a lot of good football left in me. Time will tell. It’s still kind of uncertain. We’ll get to March and know a lot more. But I think the focus for me really is getting healthy. That’s really my focus is I gotta get healthy,” Cousins said about his next steps.
The 36-year-old also elaborated on his health: “I’m no good to the Falcons, I’m no good to a team, if I’m not feeling really good. That’s really where my focus has been through January and February now that the season has wound down, really taking all the time I can to get my body feeling really good.”
Atlanta paid Cousins $180 million over four years via free-agent contract last offseason, $100 million of which was guaranteed. The veteran passer made it through 14 games with the Falcons, so, yes, Atlanta paid Cousins $100 million for 14 starts.
“We were 6-3, was playing well, doing a lot of good things, even if the right ankle wasn’t perfect. Nobody’s perfect in this league. We’re never feeling 100 percent. So it didn’t really affect me too much, but then against the Saints [in Week 10], I got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow. From there, kinda dealing with that, it was something I was working through. Just never could get it really to where I wanted it,” Cousins said, reflecting on 2024 and his health.
The Cleveland Browns could be suitors for Cousins’ services. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski worked with Cousins for two seasons in Minnesota (2018 and 2019), and Cleveland may need an affordable quarterback while finishing out the financial torture brought upon the organization by Deshaun Watson, who is expected to miss all of 2025 with a re-injured Achilles.
A team like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Las Vegas Raiders could also kick the tires on Cousins’ would-be free agency.
And according to Schefter, that process is more likely because of Cousins’ no-trade clause.
Cousins will turn 37 this summer.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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