Decision Made On Kirk Cousins' NFL Future

The Atlanta Falcons announced they've officially released quarterback Kirk Cousins with a post-June 1 designation Wednesday (March 11).

The Falcons already owe Cousins $10 million for the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move came weeks after newly hired Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said that the team informed Cousins of their plan to release him during an interview with a local station station via ESPN.

Cunningham said he spoke with Cousins and his agent, Mike McCarthy, and notified them that the team plans to move on from the quarterback on the first day of the new league year on March 11. Schefter had previously reported that the Falcons were expected to release Cousins.

Cunningham also said there were no plans to bring back Cousins at a lower salary point after releasing him. The two sides had reportedly agreed to modify the final years of his current contract, which allowed the Falcons to decide on his future on March 13, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Field Yates in January.

"The Falcons and Kirk Cousins recently agreed to a modified final two years of his contract, setting March 13th up as a date to make a decision on the QB's future with the franchise by," Yates wrote on his X account.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in March 2024, which included $100 million guaranteed, just one month before the franchise selected former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with its first-round pick. Cousins went 7-7 during his first season in Atlanta before being benched for Penix, who started the 2025 season and went 3-6 prior to a season-ending ACL injury. Cousins started in the Falcons' final eight games, going 5-3, and throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions on 166 of 269 passing.