The biggest story of Atlanta's offseason continues to be the saga of Kirk Cousins. The latest headlines are the fact that the quarterback met with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to request a trade where he will have a chance to start. Atlanta's response was to make it clear the team would do what is within their best interest, whether or not that aligns with Kirk's request. It is the right decision considering how poorly Cousins has handled the situation from start to finish.
When the Falcons first signed the quarterback, his words put the Falcons in harm's way and resulted in the team losing a draft pick. As the two sides prepared for a divorce months later, Kirk Cousins blamed an injury for his own collapse. One the quarterback had insisted he didn't have when questioned by the Atlanta media weeks earlier. It was a bad look for the Atlanta's training staff and head coach Raheem Morris. The same head coach who put his own job in jeopardy by defending and sticking with the veteran starter.
Teams that have been interested in Kirk Cousins around the league have been told that Atlanta won’t move him.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 7, 2025
We’ll see. https://t.co/zvJpNsoClj
Why would the Falcons refuse to move off this mess? The answer is simple, the team appears to be leveraging Kirk's wish to start to get out of the contract. If Cousins agrees to re-work the deal and allow Atlanta to escape the guarantees in exchange for a fresh start, it would be a huge win for the Falcons. Worst-case scenario Cousins refuses and is willing to take a backup job behind Penix. If this is the case, the Falcons can still attempt to trade the veteran early in the summer. This would allow them a much smaller dead cap hit and simply makes this a waiting game.
If Cousins wants a chance to start so badly, the quarterback understands what needs to happen. While this might seem harsh, it is more than fair at this point. Kirk was paid top dollar to be the answer for the Falcons and in less than a season cost the team a draft pick, playoff spot, and made a choice that reflected poorly on those that had defended him.
These choices should remove all guilt from Atlanta for playing the game they are currently engaged in. It is the right move for a team that has limited cap space and needs to find a way to create enough room to rebuild the defense. This is now a waiting game with the decision resting completely on Kirk's shoulders.