New Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham informed Kirk Cousins recently that the team would release him on the first day of the league year, Cunningham said Tuesday morning on 92.9 The Game.
Cunningham said in the radio interview that he spoke with Cousins and his agent, Mike McCartney, about the decision, which does not come as a big surprise considering Cousins’ contract restructure several months ago. The first day of the league year is March 11.
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Feb. 7 that the expectation was that the Falcons would indeed release Cousins.
Cunningham was asked whether there was a window where the Falcons could bring back Cousins at a lower salary point. He said there was not.
“We won’t re-sign Kirk,” Cunningham said in a scrum with local media Tuesday at the combine.
In early January, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the previous Falcons regime restructured Cousins’ contract, guaranteeing $67.9 million for 2027, a figure that would have vested March 13. That wrinkle made Cousins being cut likely.
The restructure reduced Cousins’ 2026 base salary from a nonguaranteed $35 million to $2.1 million. The deal didn’t impact any of Cousins’ guaranteed money, just split the existing agreed-upon dollars.
If the Falcons release Cousins next month with a June 1 designation, they would save $2.1 million in salary cap. The dead money would be $22.5 million in 2026 and $12.5 million in 2027, per Spotrac.
Cousins, 37, had an up-and-down two years in Atlanta. The Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing him, which took Cousins by surprise. Cousins, coming off a torn Achilles in 2023, led the Falcons to a 6-3 start in 2024 before an arm injury hampered his performance. He went on a stretch of five games with nine interceptions. The Falcons benched Cousins in Week 16, committing to Penix as the quarterback of the present and future.
Cousins, a 14-year veteran, returned healthy in 2025, but the Falcons had already made up their minds that Penix was their quarterback. There was no competition in training camp. But then Penix tore his left ACL in Week 11, and Cousins started the rest of the way, including a four-game winning streak to close the season. The Falcons’ record in Cousins’ starts was 5-3, and their record in Penix’s starts was 3-6.
In 2025, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 47.6 QBR tied him at 22nd in the league with Bryce Young.
