Atlanta will not outright release Cousins, but after all of the negotiations this offseason, it may have to absorb more of the salary than initially thought.
Kirk Cousins is still on the roster. Three months ago, Atlanta thought it could get a team to absorb a chunk of Cousins' remaining salary owed to him. Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees still owed to him, and someone will have to pay that for his services.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins warms up for a game against the New York Giants. Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins warms up for a game against the New York Giants. Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Originally, Atlanta wanted a team to pay $15-$20 million, but in recent weeks, only two teams have stepped up and been willing to pay any of it. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings have been rumored to be willing to pay somewhere around $10 million of the salary.
Now, Atlanta has another hurdle to climb. Aaron Rodgers is the number one quarterback on the Steelers' radar, but he has been waffling with his enigmatic ways. Kirk Cousins is a close second for the Pittsburgh Steelers if they decide to move on from waiting on Rodgers to make a decision.
NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler would state, "I would say Kirk Cousins," Fowler said when asked about possible Rodgers replacements in Pittsburgh. "I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is at the very least on the Steelers' radar if something were to fall through on Rodgers."
Although it appeared that Fowler was not very optimistic that we could see Cousins in a Steelers uniform any time soon, saying, "But the feeling around the league is that Atlanta has not been willing to budge on this," Fowler continued. "They haven't shown a lot of interest in trading Cousins. It would take a hefty price tag for another team to wiggle that out."
It is a real possibility that Kirk Cousins will still be on the Atlanta sideline this fall as the Falcons' highest-paid backup in history.