The Atlanta Falcons are likely to part ways with star quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta signed Cousins to a $100+ million contract this offseason. However, after a disappointing season, the Falcons have considered dumping Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. That’s not just when it comes to his status as starter either, it seems.
ESPN reported on Saturday that several around the league expect the Falcons to release Cousins by March 17.
“Kirk Cousins’ divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the NFL fully expecting Atlanta to release him by then,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote .
Schefter added that the two sides splitting is viewed as “inevitable.”
Atlanta didn’t go about this the best way. Drafting Penix out of Washington in the first round after signing Cousins for the pricetag they did was never going to work. It might not have even worked on a two-year deal. Cousins came from Minnesota, where he was their starter for several years.
That the Falcons saw that, brought him in, but tried to double dip was an error on their behalf.
And so now, the two sides will go their separate ways. And money will be lost, but Cousins has taken a lot to the bank over the years. Now it’s a wonder of what’s next for him.
[ESPN]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022