Kirk Cousins, Falcons
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins reacting ahead of an NFL game against the New York Giants.
We still don’t know who will be the next quarterback for the New York Jets.
At least we now know one name that won’t be the next QB1 of the NYJ.
Brian Costello of the New York Post revealed that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins “is not on the Jets’ radar at all. You can cross him off the list.”
Cousins has been named to the Pro Bowl four times and led the league in completion percentage back in 2015.
2nd Insider Shares Similar Sentiment
Cousins, 37, will turn 38 before the start of the 2026 season.
“New Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham informed Kirk Cousins recently that the team would release him on the first day of the league year, Cunningham said Tuesday morning on 92.9 The Game,” ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter shared.
That new team isn’t expected to be the Jets.
“The sense I get is that Cousins doesn’t consider the Jets to be a desired destination unless there aren’t any other starting options out there for him. I’m not sure the Jets are especially interested anyway,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic wrote.
An Old Wound Doesn’t Help This Cousins-Jets Business
Back in 2018, the Jets were all in on Cousins in free agency. They made him a record-breaking contract offer of a three-year deal with $90 million fully guaranteed. It wasn’t enough to get a deal done; Cousins opted to join the Minnesota Vikings instead.
Months later, Cousins released a documentary that covered detailed conversations from his time in free agency. During that show, Cousins revealed that he and his agent used the Jets to increase the contract offer from the Vikings.
It publicly embarrassed the Jets. The key decision makers on the Jets coaching staff and front office from 2018 are no longer here, but the owner, Woody Johnson, is the same.
It’s unclear if this still bothered Johnson, but it certainly didn’t help.
Paul Andrew Esden Jr
As the #Jets prepare to play the #Vikings this week don’t forget that Kirk Cousins USED NYJ in free agency back in 2018 to up Minnesota’s offer & then made a documentary about it 🤨: 🎥 @NFLUK #TakeFlight #SKOL
Fast forward to 2026. Do the Jets not really want Cousins? Or did the Jets learn that Cousins once again didn’t really want them this offseason, and they got ahead of it?
It’s like we’re in high school and you’re thinking about asking your crush to prom. You overhear a rumor that she would reject you if you were to ask. So you pivot and say I didn’t want to go to the dance with her anyway.
Now What?
Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game. Cousins, across his 14 years in the NFL, has $312.6 million in career earnings, per Spotrac. You can criticize a lot of things about Cousins, but his financial decisions certainly aren’t one of them.
So that’s one name off the list for the Jets, but now what?
What are the Jets looking for in their next quarterback? What are the details on the dating profile? Is it just a random answer for 2026? Or will they investigate one of the younger QBs with upside?
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said there is a “sense” that the Jets will avoid some of the “overpriced big names” and instead focus on stop-gap players.
That fits the thought of punting on Cousins. Some of the names Cimini listed as possible options include unproven backup quarterbacks that would have to be acquired via trade.
That list included Tanner McKee of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears, and Spencer Rattler of the New Orleans Saints.