Falcons Won’t Blame Cousins’ Struggles on Injury, Have Multiple Options Ahead
The Atlanta Falcons are refusing to pin quarterback Kirk Cousins’ struggles on the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023. “He wasn’t injured. He was healthy,” said team executive Terry Fontenot. “The play just wasn’t there… Nobody’s happy about that. We’re all disappointed.”
The team has three primary options with Cousins: attempt to trade him, keep him as the No. 2 QB, or release him. Fontenot, however, denied reports that the Falcons plan to release Cousins, leaving a trade or keeping him as the backup as viable alternatives.
A potential trade is complicated by Cousins’ no-trade clause, which he may not be willing to waive to facilitate a deal elsewhere. Fontenot offered little insight into how a trade might work, stating, “We will take those things as they come. Everyone would have to be good with it. There’s a lot of layers to that.”
Cousins’ contract also poses challenges, with a $40 million cap hit for next season. Even with quarterback Desmond Ridder’s rookie contract offering more flexibility, the Falcons would still need to account for a significant portion of their total allotment.
Despite the potential hurdles, the Falcons have seemingly come to terms with the idea of keeping Cousins around next season, even with the substantial costs they’ve already incurred.