After a conclusion to the 2024 season that saw him pop up on the injury report then later end up benched for poor performance, Kirk Cousins's future with the Atlanta Falcons was very much in question heading into the offseason.
Back in January, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot told reporters he'd be "very comfortable" with Cousins as the team's backup behind '24 first round pick Michael Penix Jr. Speaking to reporters from the NFL's Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Fontenot reiterated that position.
"That's the plan at this point," Fontenot replied when asked if the Falcons would move forward by keeping Cousins as the team's backup. The veteran QB is due a guaranteed salary of $27.5 million in '25, as well as a $10 million roster bonus, which is due March 17. Complicating matters is Cousins's no-trade clause.
It's certainly not ideal to be forking over $27.5 million-plus for a backup QB—which Fontenot acknowledged—but with Penix still on his rookie deal, there is conceivably a financial path forward for Atlanta.
Fontenot went on to praise Cousins for how he dealt with his move to the bench, which occurred 15 weeks into his first season with the Falcons.
"Kirk handled that really well at the end of the season,” Fontenot said. “Obviously, Kirk’s a really talented player, he’s a great man, all those things. Again, he handled that role well at the end of the season."
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in March of '24, landing, seemingly, a new franchise QB while vaulting the Falcons to the status of divisional favorites entering the season.
The Falcons overcame two early losses to jump out to a 6–3 start through their first nine games, buoyed by the strong play of Cousins. But the veteran QB hit a wall to start November and appeared on the Week 11 injury report. He struggled mightily in his final three games played, throwing one touchdown pass against seven interceptions.
Cousins revealed during a Super Bowl week interview that he injured his right elbow and shoulder during a Week 10 game with the New Orleans Saints. Fontenot said Tuesday that the team was unaware of the injury affecting Cousins beyond just the one week he was listed on the injury report.
"He was on the injury report that one week," Fontenot said. "When a player is injured, we put him on the injury report and that's the only time he was on the injury report. So as far as we're concerned, that's the only injury we're aware of."
Should the Falcons release Cousins before March 12, the team would be off the hook for the $10 million roster bonus but would take on $65 million in dead money.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Falcons GM Reveals 2025 Plan for Kirk Cousins After Late-Season Benching, Injury .