After it was announced that the Atlanta Falcons are expected to release Kirk Cousins, it's become clear that his NFL career is on its last legs. The $180 million contract the Falcons signed him to has aged horribly over time, even if he did prove he still has some good football left in the tank this year.
There are a few teams that could be interested in a veteran with Cousins' experience, but he isn't expected to be swarmed with suitors. So this could lead the four-time Pro Bowler to make a shocking decision, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he could take the opportunity to hang up his cleats,
Cousins is entering his age-38 season, so even though he could have another couple of years left, he's not built to play into his mid-40s like Tom Brady did. Injuries have hampered the skillset of the player we saw in Minnesota and has made plenty of money, so he could just be better off riding off into the sunset on his own accord.
Putting himself and his family through another move might not be the most appealing, especially since he seems to genuinely love Atlanta. So unless he's chomping at the bit to return to Minnesota and push J.J. McCarthy for the starting job, this would be his third NFL destination in four seasons.
There's a real shot that Kirk Cousins decides to retire and pursue a career in sports media
There have been reports that Cousins wouldlike to play for another season, but a fry free agent market might force his hand. And if he does retire, there's been some chatter about him taking a page out of Matt Ryan's playbook and pursuing a TV career, and sports broadcasting makes a lot of sense.
Now that Ryan is the Falcons' new president of football, there's an open seat on desk with CBS' pregame show, the The NFL Today, and Cousins could be a legit candidate to replace him. He appeared on The NFL Today during the playoffs and proved he has a real future in sports media.
In recent years, it's become a trend for former quarterbacks to put on a headset and try their hand at broadcasting. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo all do it, and we've even seen Ryan call some games. Even guys like Phil Simms and Troy Aikman have done it, so Cousins can easily follow suit.
The Michigan State product clearly has both the football IQ and infectious personality to make for a great broadcaster, so while this is something that would take Falcons fans by surprise, they should want to see Cousins succeed in whatever lies ahead in his career.