Kirk Cousins, Falcons Expected to Part Ways Ahead of 2026 Season
Kirk Cousins' time in Atlanta appears to be nearing its end. According to multiple reports, the Falcons are expected to release the veteran quarterback before the start of the new league year in March, setting the stage for one of the more intriguing quarterback storylines of the 2026 offseason.
Cousins, who turns 38 this summer, will be free to sign with any team once released - and he’s reportedly hoping to land a starting job elsewhere. While retirement remains on the table, especially with his budding media career in play, Cousins is still leaving the door open for another chapter on the field.
One potential landing spot? A familiar one.
There’s growing buzz around a possible reunion with the Minnesota Vikings, where Cousins spent six seasons and built strong ties - particularly with head coach Kevin O’Connell. According to league sources, Cousins would consider a return to Minnesota, where he could potentially compete with young quarterback J.J.
McCarthy for the starting role.
The Falcons and Cousins recently agreed to a financial restructuring that all but guarantees a split. The final two years of Cousins’ four-year deal were reshaped to give both sides flexibility. His 2026 base salary was slashed from $35 million to just $2.1 million, but that move came with a key trigger: a $67.9 million vesting guarantee for the 2027 season, which kicks in if Cousins is still on the roster by March 13.
That clause effectively sets a deadline. If the Falcons don’t release Cousins by mid-March, they’re on the hook for nearly $68 million in 2027 - a number that makes a separation all but inevitable.
The structure also allows Atlanta to designate Cousins as a post-June 1 cut, spreading the dead money hit over two seasons rather than absorbing it all at once. It’s a cap-savvy move that gives the Falcons some breathing room as they transition into a new era.
For Cousins, the restructure offers security. He gets clarity on his future early in the offseason and avoids being left in limbo while teams fill their quarterback needs. And with several franchises expected to be in the market for a veteran signal-caller - whether to start immediately or mentor a young QB - the timing could work in his favor.
Cousins’ NFL journey has been anything but conventional. A fourth-round pick by Washington in 2012, he famously played out his rookie deal before being franchise tagged in back-to-back seasons. He then signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal with the Vikings in 2018 - a landmark contract at the time - and followed it up with a series of extensions, including a two-year, $66 million deal in 2020 and a one-year, $35 million extension in 2021.
After hitting free agency again in 2023, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta, $100 million of which was guaranteed. That partnership, however, never quite hit full stride.
In 2025, Cousins appeared in 10 games for the Falcons, starting eight. He completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions - solid numbers, but not enough to lock down his future in Atlanta amid a regime change and shifting priorities.
Now, as the calendar creeps toward March, Cousins finds himself at another crossroads - one he’s navigated before. Whether it’s Minnesota, another quarterback-needy team, or a move to the broadcast booth, Cousins has options. And for a player who’s built his career on betting on himself, don’t be surprised if he’s under center again come Week 1.