The Atlanta Falcons made surprising headlines this week with the news they didn't plan to dump Kirk Cousins. It was assumed the Falcons would release the veteran quarterback and allow him to move on. It is clear that Michael Penix Jr. is the future and there simply isn't a possible path for Cousins to win back the starting job. Giving him a fresh start and taking on the dead cap hit seemed to be the clearest path forward for both sides.
When you look at Kirk's contract it becomes very clear why the team is taking this stance. If the team trades Kirk Cousins they will save over $2-million in cap space as compared to keeping the veteran on the roster. However, if the team were to release the quarterback it is the difference in $25-million in the wrong direction for a team that is already tight on cap space. Keeping the quarterback as a backup does make a level of sense even if it doesn't fit what Atlanta is expected to do.
Kirk Cousins cost the Atlanta Falcons less as a backup quarterback than as an offseason roster cut
The argument for keeping Kirk Cousins on the roster is simply about saving cap space. There is little advantage to having Cousins as your backup quarterback unless you believe there is value in having him continue to mentor Penix. Still, even with all of the cap savings in mind, it is hard to imagine the Falcons blocking Cousins from a chance to save the end of his career.
In a very thin quarterback market there isn't any doubt the veteran would be given a second-chance as a free agent. It seems impossible a team would be dumb enough to take on his contract and send anything of value back to the Falcons. It would be a career-defining move if Terry Fontenot were able to pull it off.
The likely path here remains Atlanta posturing and attempting to find a trade that simply isn't there. The team's choice is going to be either cutting the veteran quarterback and allowing him to pick his own landing spot or remaining content with a historically paid backup quarterback. Neither option is appealing but that is where the Falcons find themselves with it being very clear that Michael Penix Jr. is the team's future.