The Atlanta Falcons had some quarterback questions entering the offseason. Atlanta needed to decide if they were going to keep both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. on the roster for the 2026 NFL season or not. Cousins started the last few games of the season for the Falcons because of a season-ending injury for Penix.
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Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Well, NFL twitter reported the latest update about Cousins, “GM Ian Cunningham says Falcons plan to release QB Kirk Cousins on first day of new league year.” This probably does not feel like a surprise at all. He is 37 years old. Cousins probably does not have much left in the tank anyways. With this being the news here, Atlanta can move forward with Penix as the starting quarterback.
NFL Fans Erupt Over the Atlanta Falcons Releasing Kirk Cousins
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Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws an incomplete pass as he is hit by New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) and defensive tackle Khristian Boyd (97) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
There are a lot of NFL fans who are intrigued about the fact that the Falcons are set to release Cousins. This is what some of them had to say about it on Twitter:
No surprise here, Kirk will get picked up by someone for sure
— Narcissist_X (@NarcissistX10) February 24, 2026
He made $100 million in two seasons and played less than a season total. He robbed them blind
— Vinny (@mktpicksdaily) February 24, 2026
Can’t wait to watch “American Underdog: the Kirk Cousins story” one day
— dav. (@IAmMasterSun) February 24, 2026
Kirk back to Minnesota?
— ConquerSports (@ConquerSportsIO) February 24, 2026
Don’t think he’ll retire yet. Maybe head to the Jets, Browns, or a return to Minnesota
— Ben Tredinnick (@BMTredinnick) February 24, 2026
There are a lot of people who are wondering what Cousins is going to do next with his NFL career. Maybe he will retire or maybe he won’t. If Cousins doesn’t, then some of the teams to potentially watch for are the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Arizona Cardinals, or the Minnesota Vikings. Now that Atlanta will be moving off of him, they need to find a new reliable backup quarterback for Penix.
Last season with the Falcons, he completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Cousins could be reliable for another team if they feel like he is not washed up. This move will also save the Falcons a lot of money in cap space.
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