Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has had a tough week. After being benched by the Atlanta Falcons for rookie Michael Penix, Cousins’s tenure in Atlanta will be shorter than expected. But the league’s greatest cash-in quarterback will get the last laugh as the Falcons will pay him to play somewhere else in 2025.
The news comes on Saturday morning as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that executives across the league believe Atlanta will release Cousins’ before a $10 million roster bonus is due on Mar. 17. Schefter also cites multiple sources who say a split between the two sides is inevitable.
Kirk Cousins’ tenure with Atlanta Falcons will become one of the biggest free agent busts in NFL history
Cousins has been known for cashing in during his career, making a total of $321 million despite posting an 83-74-2 record. The Washington Commanders balked at the idea of giving him a long-term deal at the beginning of his career and the Minnesota Vikings obliged for six seasons, giving him three fully guaranteed contracts with a combined value of $185 million.
Cousins got his latest bag by signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the idea of “retiring as a Falcon” last March. But Atlanta shocked Cousins and rest of the NFL by selecting Penix with the eighth overall pick in last April’s draft.
The selection was part of an awkward relationship between Cousins and the Falcons. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson operated out of the pistol for most of the season – a curious choice for a 36-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles – and Cousins never looked comfortable, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Kirk Cousins will get the last laugh from the Atlanta Falcons’ decision
At first glance, it appears that the Falcons will give Cousins one last chance to cash in next spring. But Cousins’s $27.5 million base salary contains offset language, which means that the Falcons will be on the hook for that money if Cousins signs at or near the league minimum at $1.255 million next season.
It’s a situation that played out with the Denver Broncos last spring, as they released Russell Wilson two years into a five-year, $245 million extension. Wilson was a free agent but signed for the league minimum with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Denver on the hook for $39 million while he plays elsewhere.
The Falcons will hope they have the same fortune as the Broncos, who are 9-6 under rookie quarterback Bo Nix. But Cousins, his camp and Vikings fans will laugh at a free-agent signing gone wrong.