It’s a conversation not many people thought was possible a couple of weeks ago, but with Michael Penix Jr.’s future up in the air due to injury — and Kirk Cousins looking competent for the first time in nearly a year against the Saints — is there now a real chance the veteran returns for a third season in Atlanta?
The simple answer: yes, there’s a chance.
Kirk Cousins has six games left to prove himself, and the Falcons do have a path to the postseason if things break their way. Carolina has a brutal remaining schedule and sits just one game ahead of Atlanta in the loss column, with matchups against the Rams, Seahawks, and two against Tampa Bay.
The Bucs are a bigger obstacle, two games ahead and with a much easier slate, but the Falcons still get a head-to-head shot at them, and Baker Mayfield’s injury could open the door if he’s forced to miss time.
So the path exists, slim as it may be. And if Cousins looks like the pre-Achilles version of himself — the one who tore up defenses in Minnesota — Atlanta might not have a better option available this offseason, especially without a 2026 first-round pick.
However, the financial side is where things get messy.
Kirk Cousins is set to carry a $57.5 million cap hit in 2026 if he remains on the roster, the sixth-highest mark in the NFL. The Falcons could reduce that number with a restructure, but doing so would push money into 2027 and further tie themselves to a quarterback that is approaching 40. Hardly ideal for a franchise still trying to develop Penix.
Barring a miraculous closing stretch, the cleaner approach is to rip the band-aid off and reset the position entirely. Yes, Cousins comes with a $35 million dead-cap charge, but whether it’s a trade or outright release, prolonging this quarterback dual-timeline experiment only delays the search for an actual long-term answer.
At some point, Atlanta has to pick a direction, and their current approach has only led to disaster.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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