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The Kirk Cousins experiement with the Atlanta Falcons didn't go as expected last season, as the former Minnesota Vikings standout had one of the worst campaigns of his entire career in 2024 before being benched late in the season for Michael Penix Jr.
In free agency before the 2024 season, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons and was clearly still under the impression that he would be the starter for the team for the foreseeable future. However, he was blindsided when they drafted Penix and decided to make Cousins the backup late in the season.
Now, the veteran signal caller is looking to find a new home, but there aren't a ton of logical landing spots for him as week two of training camp gets underway. On Sunday, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot spoke about Cousins' situation and where it stands at the moment, via Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter.
#Falcons GM Terry Fontenot on backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. pic.twitter.com/9n5nERt78Z
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) July 27, 2025
“Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said, per Ledbetter. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody. Our job is to do the best for this football team. … We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. That's what we're focused on and Kirk, just like all the other players, they're focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing.
“In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors. We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional and he's handled himself well.”
While getting rid of Cousins may be in the best interest of Cousins, the Falcons also have a strong argument to keep him around. While he had deteriorated as a starting quarterback after tearing his Achilles during the 2023 season, Cousins is still surely one of the top backups in the league.
Fontenot knows that and also knows that he is still a valuable asset to Atlanta's quarterback room, via Falcons beat writer Terrin Waack.
“To be a good football team, you have to be good at that position,” Fontenot said. “Right now, we can't say too much because we have to go out there and prove it, but we love where we're at with that position.”
Whether Cousins is in the red and black when the season starts or elsewhere will be an interesting storyline to follow as training camp unfolds. For now, however, it appears that he is still locked in with the Falcons to start the season.
