INDIANAPOLIS — The update on quarterback Kirk Cousins' future with the Atlanta Falcons is that there is no update.
At least not as of Tuesday, when Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot fielded questions about the 34-year-old's contract while at the 2025 NFL Combine. Fontenot maintained his end-of-season stance that Cousins will remain on the roster as Michael Penix Jr.'s backup despite having a contract that currently makes up 14% of the Falcons' salary cap, according to Over the Cap.
"We understand that it's not ideal to have a quarterback at that cap number," Fontenot said. "Now, when we gave him that contract, the expectation was for him to be the starter at this point, and so that is a good a number for a starting quarterback. But now that he's the backup, when we say we're comfortable, we're talking about the total funds allocated to the quarterback position. And that's already baked in. It was baked in for him as a starter at that point. But now, as a backup, he handled himself well at the end of the season. So, when you look at our team, we're comfortable at this point."
It sounds as though the Falcons are viewing Cousins' contract as a cost they are committed to. Unless the Falcons trade Cousins and save money, it basically is. The no-trade clause in the contract makes that path difficult, but not impossible.
There's obviously still plenty of time for Cousins' status with the Falcons to change. The new league year, which begins on March 12, hasn't even hit.
"Whether it's Kirk Cousins or any other player, we have to really look at how is this going to help our team and how is this going to affect the Atlanta Falcons," Fontenot said. "Not just with Kirk. But anybody. All those decisions we make, that's what we have to look at: what's right for this football team."
