After two turbulent seasons, the Atlanta Falcons are finally releasing Kirk Cousins, returning the quarterback to the free agency market. At 37, Cousins is not in an ideal position, but with multiple teams expected to add veteran signal-callers in the offseason, including the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders, he will have his options.
Cousins' days with the Falcons were limited from the jump, when the team spent the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Michael Penix Jr. just months after giving him a four-year, $180 million contract. The team recently restructured the deal, but the veteran has already banked the $100 million he was guaranteed for the first two years.
Cousins ended his tenure on a high note after reclaiming the starting job following Penix's ACL tear. He led the Falcons to a 4-0 run at the end of the regular season, throwing seven touchdowns and two interceptions over the last month.
Cousins still views himself as a full-time starter, even if no team sees him in the same light. He will not get that type of contract in free agency, but he is still valued as a high-level backup, particularly among franchises that could benefit from his veteran leadership.
Once he is officially released by the Falcons in March, Cousins will receive interest around the league and should be among the first quarterbacks signed in free agency.
5. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins' quarterback situation is one of the biggest messes in the league. Virtually all options are on the table, but the only guarantee seems to be that Tua Tagovailoa will not be in South Florida too much longer. Whether Miami retains Quinn Ewers or invests in another option, it will likely still seek a veteran backup in free agency.
New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley appear to like the idea of giving Ewers the Week 1 starting job while investing in another potential option in the 2026 NFL Draft. Depending on how early Sullivan drafts another quarterback, Miami could still add a veteran like Cousins to back up Ewers in 2026.
The Dolphins are in a similar situation with Tagovailoa as the Falcons are with Cousins, which would make the pairing seem unlikely. But with the buyout he is set to receive from Atlanta, Cousins should feel content signing a veteran minimum deal, which is all Miami will be able to afford if it decides to pay out the remainder of Tagovailoa's $212.4 million contract.
Despite the price tag, the Dolphins are already preparing themselves to move on from Tagovailoa. If sticking with Ewers is truly Hafley's ploy, adding Cousins behind him is a safe insurance plan.
4. Arizona Cardinals
One of the few teams with less certainty at quarterback than the Dolphins is the Arizona Cardinals, who are seemingly also moving on from longtime starter Kyler Murray. New head coach Mike LaFleur appears to like the idea of retaining Jacoby Brissett, who is coming off the best season of his career after the team shut Murray down due to a foot injury.
Due to their situation, the Cardinals are another team that could be eyeing a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, given their position in the draft and the weak incoming class, finding their next franchise quarterback in April appears unlikely.
Arizona could still come away with Carson Beck or Garrett Nussmeier in the middle rounds, but it should still add a veteran backup behind Brissett. Kirk Cousins, whose play style is a lot like that of Brissett, would be a bargain for them at the price he will likely be available for in free agency.
LaFleur hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator almost immediately after taking the job, which benefits players like Brissett and Cousins. Hackett became one of the few coaches Aaron Rodgers admired late in his career for his throwback style of play, which favors veteran quarterbacks.
3. Washington Commanders
Few destinations would feel more wholesome to Kirk Cousins in the 2026 offseason than returning to Washington. He left the nation's capital as a Redskin, but the timing might be right for him to return as a Commander.
Just as Cousins hits the market, the Commanders are also in need of a new backup quarterback. Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson and Jeff Driskel all become free agents in March, and Washington does not appear inclined to re-sign any of them.
The entire team struggled in 2025, but the Commanders were especially listless without Jayden Daniels. After reaching the 2025 NFC Championship Game, Washington went 3-9 without its dynamic quarterback and missed the playoffs, causing a desperate Dan Quinn to clean house in the offseason.
Quinn fired offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and replaced him with David Blough, a former teammate of Cousins. Blough began the 2022 season on the Vikings' practice squad during Cousins' best year with the team.
Although the team is entirely different in 2026, Cousins began his career in Washington, making it an appropriate place to potentially end it.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals can only hope that Joe Burrow remains healthy in 2026 after missing nine games in 2025. But if Burrow misses time yet again, they cannot afford to lose another year without a competent backup plan in place.
The early-season disaster should convince Cincinnati to give up on Jake Browning, who went 0-3 as a starter in 2025. Joe Flacco, whom the team acquired to replace Browning, will also become a free agent after turning 41 in January. While the team could feasibly double down on Flacco, Kirk Cousins might be the ideal backup for Burrow.
If the Bengals can get Cousins on a veteran minimum deal, he is a younger and more dynamic version of Flacco with a similar play style. Cincinnati had success with Flacco in 2025; the veteran did his best to keep the team afloat, even if he went just 1-5 in six starts.
With Burrow missing 16 games in the last three years, his durability is a situation the Bengals need to monitor moving forward. Cousins will be an affordable and suitable option that the team can feel comfortable with behind its franchise quarterback.
1. Los Angeles Rams
There was some hope for Cousins in Atlanta when the Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski to replace Raheem Morris. Stefanski, who worked with Cousins as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, would have been one of the few who still saw value in the 37-year-old gunslinger. That did not pan out, but Cousins could still reunite with one of his former coaches by signing with the Los Angeles Rams.
Before becoming the Rams' head coach, Sean McVay was the Washington Redskins' offensive coordinator, where he oversaw Kirk Cousins' rise and guided him to his best season. Under McVay, Cousins threw for a career-high 4,917 passing yards in 2016 while leading Washington's offense to a top-10 finish.
The Rams were reportedly interested in Cousins at the 2025 trade deadline as an upgrade from Jimmy Garoppolo behind Matthew Stafford. Garoppolo now hits free agency, putting Los Angeles in the backup quarterback market, where it can scoop up Cousins at a discount.
Stafford is coming off an MVP campaign, but he has been increasingly injury-prone down the stretch of his career. McVay has had success with Cousins before and should feel confident in him as a quality insurance plan behind Stafford.
