The awkward sage of Kirk Cousins has continued to define Atlanta's underwhelming 2025 offseason. Cousins continues to insist he wants a chance to start while the Falcons will tell anyone that will listen they simply will do what's best for their franchise. This results in a standoff between the two sides as the Falcons continue to hope that a trade will fall their way. Considering the lack of options in the draft or in free agency, it isn't difficult to believe someone could buy into the idea that Cousins has something left in the tank.
Whether or not this proves to be the case is very much up for debate. What shouldn't be is assigning who deserves the bulk of the blame for the awkward situation in Atlanta. The Falcons making the decision to sign Kirk Cousins was a mistake the front office deserves a lot of heat for. However, everything that has followed falls squarely on the shoulders of Cousins.
Kirk Cousins deserves blame for forcing the Falcons into an offseason standoff
The reason Cousins finds himself in this position is the fact that he played at such an incredibly low level that the Falcons couldn't beat any teams with a modicum of capability. Still, this isn't the only reason why Atlanta is in the right for how they have handled Cousins this offseason. It was so dark in Atlanta that media members questioned whether or not Cousins was playing hurt.
It was believed impossible that the same quarterback that had set the franchise single-game passing record weeks earlier now couldn't complete the simplest of passes. Cousins put these questions to bed making it clear he was healthy and the team would work to figure things out. Weeks later, it would appear neither of these sentiments were true, with Atlanta's season imploding and Cousins dropping an injury bombshell weeks later.
What truly happened around Cousins remains a mystery. What is clear is the fact the quarterback either is attempting to blame an injury for his awful play or openly lied while playing hurt. Neither will endear the veteran to Atlanta, and is exactly why the Falcons should continue on their current stance.
After imploding the team's season, the quarterback had the audacity to blame an injury he denied. If this was truly the reason for Atlanta's struggles, a true leader would admit to playing hurt and give his team the best possible chance to win. The Falcons are stuck paying Kirk either way, holding onto the contract and hoping a trade presents itself either due to an in-season injury or before the year begins is the right move. The Falcons simply have been given no reason to give in to Kirk's wishes, with it remaining clear what is best for the franchise.