The Atlanta Falcons are ready to make some big changes this offseason. Atlanta already brought in Kevin Stefanski at head coach and hired former QB Matt Ryan as president of football. Now the Falcons have announced one upcoming roster move that was already expected.
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed on 92.9 The Game that QB Kirk Cousins will be released in March on the first day of the new league year, per Ari Meirov. Cousins will become a free agent.
The veteran quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons during the 2024 offseason. But Cousins' role immediately changed after the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cousins ended up earning $100 million during his two season in Atlanta.
Atlanta moving on from Cousins will be an expected move. The large salary cap hit from Cousins' contract would have made it difficult for Atlanta to make many moves this offseason. But the team found a way out.
The Falcons recently modified the final two years of Cousins' contract, moving $32.9 million into his 2027 base salary. That money would become fully guaranteed if he remained on the roster past mid-March, which he will not.
Now the Falcons will lose roughly $10 million in cap space during the 2026 offseason. However, they will gain a massive $77.90 million in cap space during the 2027 season.
Atlanta's future now seems tied to Penix, who suffered another season-ending ACL injury back in November. It is the third time the young quarterback has torn an ACL since 2018.
Cousins finished the regular season for Atlanta and concluded his time with the team on a high note. He threw for 1,721 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts in 2025. Cousins led the Falcons to a 5-3 record during that span.
It will be interesting to see if Cousins has a strong market during free agency.
