The long-standing expectation has been that the Atlanta Falcons will release Kirk Cousins at the start of the new league year, but now we have official confirmation on his fate. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Falcons are expected to release Cousins before the start of the new league year.
This has been expected for weeks, but was all but confirmed when the Falcons restructured Cousins' contract earlier this offseason. They diverted most of his $35 million salary in 2026 to 2027, which would've been guaranteed if he was retained beyond March 13, the third day of the new league year, so even the hire of his old OC Kevin Stefanski wasn't gonna save him from this.
The Dirty Birds signed the 37-year-old to a four-year $180 million deal during the 2024 offseason, but after they drafted Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks later, it put his time as the starter on a clock. He started for most of 2024 and after Penix went down in mid-November, and fared pretty well as QB1.
However, his contract comes with an out, so even if they didn't rework his deal to add most of his 2026 salary to his 2027 cap hit, the Falcons are a team in desperate need of financial flexibility, and cutting Cousins paves the way for Ian Cunningham to ink some big extensions with some key players.
Kirk Cousins wont be with the Falcons in 2026 as they are planning to release him before the new league year
Schefter also reported that it's no guarantee that Cousins will play in 2026. There's been talk of the four-time Pro Bowler hanging up his cleats, which could see him pursue a career in TV and potentially steal Matt Ryan's seat on The NFL Today on CBS after appearing on the show during the playoffs.
Thats not to say there won't be interest in him in free agency, though. After he looked solid in Penix's stead, teams such as the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings have been linked to signing him, so as long as he actually wants to keep playing, he shouldn't have to work hard to find another opportunity.
The timing of this report is interesting, as the Falcons have been pretty vocal in their commitment to Penix, who just gave a positive update on his ACL recovery. He's fully expecting to be back in Week 1 of next season, so Cousins would be making way too much money to be holding Penix's clipboard.
Releasing the Michigan State star made too much sense for a team who has too many young stars circling new extensions and can't afford to pay him $67.9 million in 2027. Now, his future is solely in his own hands, and it allows the new regime to find a cheaper backup behind their young starter.