It's unknown what the Atlanta Falcons were thinking when they inked quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal last offseason, only to break ties with him 12 months later.
As reported by NFL insider Adam Schefter on Saturday, the Falcons are expected to release Cousins ahead of March 17, which is when his $10 million roster bonus is due.
Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the league fully expecting Atlanta to have to release him by then.https://t.co/pUBOJ03BXi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2024Atlanta guaranteed $100 million to Cousins, $90 million of which was for 2024-25. So, essentially the Falcons spent $90 million on 14 games of service from Cousins.
Those 14 games included leading the NFL with 16 interceptions.
Now, for the second straight season — barring Michael Penix Jr. doesn't get seriously hurt, Cousins will be in free agent waters for the second straight year.
Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the league fully expecting Atlanta to have to release him by then.https://t.co/pUBOJ03BXi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2024There's really not a year where there is an ongoing quarterback famine taking place throughout the NFL.
Currently, you can make an argument for a bevy of teams that will be searching for someone to offer competent services under center in 2025, that which is believed Cousins can still provide: the Giants, Raiders, Jets, Browns, Steelers, Colts, Titans, and Saints.
A couple of those clubs make less sense to go after another veteran quarterback than perhaps resigning the one they already have, which would include the Steelers, Saints, and potentially the Jets.
The Colts remain in a bit of a gray area with sophomore Anthony Richardson ending the season with volatility after getting benched in October.
But who would make the best fit for Cousins to plug in and be a placeholder as they transition?
Cousins' top suitor is Cleveland, the long-recognized mecca center for all misfit quarterbacks. The Deshaun Watson experiment has been nothing short of a disaster. He has two years remaining on his five-year deal worth $230 million.
The Browns would have to swallow $172 million in dead cap space if they were to decide to cut ties with Watson after this season, so they're pretty much bound to him. If they decide to roll on with starting him, they will be taking back an already down-trending player who's recovering from an Achilles injury to operate the offense.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has a relationship with Cousins from when he was coaching in Minnesota. Cousins could be signed for cheap, much like what Russell Wilson signed this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers (one year for $1.2 million), and tell Watson the job will be up for grabs out of training camp.
While Cousins' fit with the Browns makes the best sense, if the Watson cap situation is a deterrent from pursuing him, the Titans are another team waiting with open arms.
It's clear that Will Levis is not the long-term guy after having held the reins for a full season, displaying a lack of pro-level sense, missing open receivers, and generating turnovers.
He's already been benched for Mason Rudolph to play out the end of the campaign, so Tennessee will be seeking a new signal caller whether that be by way of the draft, free agency, or trade.
Cousins would be a compatible short-term option to run the offense while the Titans develop someone to eventually take over.
Speaking of which, the Las Vegas Raiders, who owned a 35% chance of getting the first overall pick in April, dropped to one percent following their Week 16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With that in mind, their outlook of taking Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward is now muddled.
After losing 10 straight games previously, Las Vegas is far and away the most rudderless team in football. Even whether or not it takes a premium draft prospect at quarterback, it would be in its best interest to get someone with a proven track record to alleviate the bleeding.
It may not be an attractive situation for Cousins considering that he just left Minnesota and now Atlanta because of a draft pick looming behind him, but at age 36 and regression clear, beggars can't be choosers.
The same arguments can be made for the New York Giants, who own the most favorable odds to take the No. 1 pick. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are confirmed to return in 2025 and Cousins could bridge them from a disastrous couple of years to greener pastures.
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