Kirk Cousins’s Struggles Loom Over Falcons Future (and Salary Cap)

The Falcons snapped a four-game losing streak Monday night, squeaking by a two-win Raiders team with a 15–9 victory. But Atlanta’s $180 million quarterback, Kirk Cousins, continued to struggle, setting up a pivotal closing stretch for the Falcons (7–7), who remain one game back of the Buccaneers in the NFC South—and creating some interesting offseason decisions for the franchise’s front office.

Cousins has passed for 3,508 yards this season, including 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Back on Oct. 3 against the Bucs, Cousins passed for a league-high 509 yards and four touchdowns. But on Monday, he completed 11 of 17 for just 112 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against Las Vegas. 

“He’s got to play better,” first-year Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris said after the game. “I don’t think that’s a mystery,” added Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in the spring that includes $100 million in guaranteed money. 

Escalating the drama is the presence of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who Atlanta selected with the eighth-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, just more than a month after signing Cousins.

Update, Dec. 17, 9:28 p.m. Eastern: The Falcons announced Tuesday night that they were benching Cousins for the stretch run. In a statement, Morris called the move a “football decision” and said Penix would be the starter “moving forward.” Our original story continues below and has been updated.

Time to Pay Up?

If the Falcons decide to move on from Cousins as their starting quarterback in 2025, it will be expensive for a team that has just one playoff win since its Super Bowl LI collapse against the Patriots after the 2016 season.

Cutting Cousins would cost the most. After the 2024 season concludes, the quarterback will carry a dead cap hit of $65 million (all figures via Spotrac). A post–June 1 release designation would give Atlanta the ability to move $25 million of that salary cap penalty to the 2026 season. 

The NFL’s 2024 salary cap is a record $255.4 million, and it is expected to increase again next year.

Trading Cousins could be more palatable. However, Cousins has a no-trade clause, so he would have to agree to his new destination. If a new team was willing to take on the full $27.5 million base salary Cousins is owed in 2025, the Falcons would be on the hook for a dead cap hit of only $37.5 million (of which $25 million could be spread out to 2026 with a post–June 1 trade). But any willing trade partner may seek to have Atlanta pay a portion of the quarterback’s 2025 salary.

The $35 million salary for Cousins in 2026 and 2027 is not guaranteed. The QB will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028—and will turn 40 before the season.