The most surprising update of the Atlanta Falcons offseason less than a week in has been the team's recent stance on Kirk Cousins. Atlanta is suggesting they wouldn't cut Kirk Cousins that the quarterback will either be the team's backup in the 2025 season or traded. It is an odd decision to voice when the team was widely expected to release the veteran quarterback early in the offseason.
Considering all of the possible answers as to why the Falcons could be making the decision it is important to follow the money. It costs the Falcons nearly $30-million in additional dead cap space if they cut Kirk Cousins instead of trade him. On the flip side, if the team were to retain the quarterback as a backup for one more season it is cheaper than cutting him would be, trading the veteran does save a bit of cap space but very little.
Will the Atlanta Falcons hold Kirk Cousins hostage to save 2025 cap space?
This is the question that is going to define Atlanta's 2025 offseason in many ways. While having Cousins around to help guide the young quarterback could be great there are many issues with the decision. The most obvious is preventing Cousins from finding his way back into a starting lineup. With the amount of quarterback issues around the league Kirk Cousins could earn another chance.
However, there is no franchise that should be dumb enough to take on Kirk's contract with how the quarterback played to end the 2024 season. Atlanta could be posturing attempting to drum up interest to give themselves far more cap space and the ability to make moves this offseason.
If you cut Kirk Cousins your only moves of note are going to be bargain moves and your draft selections. A mess of their own creation is going to be the story of the offseason as the team turns the page to Michael Penix Jr.