The saga between the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins continues on. Cousins will not be the starter for the team moving forward, but the front office appears keen on keeping the proven veteran as their backup.
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Cousins not being released is likely due to the major cap hit the Falcons would take if they released him. According to a report from ESPN in December:
"The Falcons could cut Cousins. If they do so before the start of the 2025 league year (March 12), they would get hit with $65 million in dead money, coming from his fully guaranteed base salary of $27.5 million and $37.5 million in remaining proration, per Roster Management System. If they do it with a post-June 1 designation, the dead money would spread over the 2025 and 2026 season -- $40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026."
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Cousins' cap hit is likely a major reason that the front office is not being quick about letting the veteran walk, and his ballooned contract is likely why a trade partner has not materialized either. Despite these factors, Cousins is expected to attend minicamp, but for an unexpected reason.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini revealed that Cousins is expected to show up and participate in the Falcons' minicamp. He was present during workouts in April, but he skipped voluntary OTAs.
Cousins not attending OTAs is not a big deal, but skipping mincamp would result in fines. Though losing money would be the governing factor here, his attending minicamp has everything to do with showcasing his performance.
Cousins missed four games in the 2024 season, but still managed to throw 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. The turnovers are certainly a major concern, but the Falcons' signal caller is still a solid quarterback.
The Falcons might not be able to find a trade partner right now, but should Cousins show up to minicamp as a show of good faith, and prove that he can still sling the ball the same way he did when he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings - there might be far more interested teams calling Atlanta about his availability.
Atlanta has found itself in a weird situation with Cousins, as they paid him a lot of money, only to go and draft Penix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Falcons put themselves in this situation, but they might still be able to find a way out of it.
Cousins attending minicamp might go a long way for both sides to find a trade partner, or the Falcons might finally decide to take the cap hit and let the disgruntled passer find a new team in 2025.
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