Kirk Cousins makes retirement decision amid $330m QB’s TV dilemma as shock NFC contender emerges
Kirk Cousins wants to play in the NFL in 2026.
But one thing is for certain – he will not be putting on an Atlanta Falcons uniform.
The veteran quarterback penned a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta in 2024, despite coming off an ACL injury sustained when he was with the Minnesota Vikings.
Weeks after signing him, though, they used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select former Indiana and Washington signal caller Michael Penix Jr.
Just two seasons later, with Penix Jr. the chosen starter for 2025 before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury, the team are released Cousins when the new league season officially commenced on March 11, as they continue to ride with the 25-year-old under center.
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed this back on February 24 when he made an appearance on 92.9 The Game.
“Out of respect for Kirk and Michael, felt like that was the right decision,” he said.
In his two seasons in Atlanta, Cousins made just 22 starts (24 total appearances) in which he completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 5,229 yards and 28 touchdowns and also fired 21 interceptions.
By releasing Cousins, the Falcons avoided his $67.9 million salary for 2026 becoming fully guaranteed.
They will, however, have to pay him a $10 million roster bonus regardless of whether he winds up next season.
The Falcons went on to sign Tua Tagovailoa just hours after he was released by the Miami Dolphins.
Cousins to forego TV role for now
There was some speculation throughout the 2025 NFL playoffs that Cousins could retire from the NFL and enter a role in TV.
These rumors were only fueled further when Cousins filled in as an analyst for CBS Sports when former Falcons icon Matt Ryan vacated his role to become Atlanta’s new President of Football.
Having impressed in the studio, many were of the belief that a TV career was just waiting for him to make the switch.
However, league insider Dan Graziano went on to dispute these claims.
“Cousins wants to play this season; I was told the rumors of him potentially retiring to take a TV job are incorrect,” Graziano wrote for ESPN on March 1.
“But he could be selective about his next destination. The past two times Cousins was a free agent, he received deals from Minnesota and Atlanta quickly.
“But this time, Cousins likely will wait to see how some of these situations shake out before deciding — even if that means waiting through the offseason for some team’s situation to change in his favor.”
That’s not to say that Cousins won’t move into TV in the future, though.
Warm reunion in Minnesota looks to have gone cold
Entering free agency, Cousins was predicted to emerge as a suitor for multiple teams who need a short-term option at QB, especially among teams who are preparing to potentially draft rising talent straight out of college, where the 37-year-old veteran could also serve as a mentor.
Teams like the New York Jets initially sprung to mind, as do the Arizona Cardinals who moved on from Kyler Murray in the off-season.
The Vikings were also reportedly interested in bringing Cousins back to Minnesota.
So far, with the J.J. McCarthy experiment having not yet gone entirely to plan, the Vikings sought to bring in some competition for the former Michigan Wolverine.
They were said to have identified Geno Smith and Murray as their preferred targets.
Smith ultimately wound up being traded to the New York Jets, but Minnesota got their man in former No. 1 overall pick Murray.
Had they failed to do so, then speculation led to the indication that the Vikings front office could have steered towards reuniting with an old flame like Cousins.
Cousins spent six seasons in Minnesota from 2018-2023 where he led them to a 50-37-1 record after completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 23,265 passing yards and 171 touchdowns to just 55 interceptions.
Having familiarity with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell may have served as a positive for a team that seeks to bounce back in 2026 after failing to reach the playoffs, despite a 9-8 winning record in 2025.
Despite landing Murray, they are also still likely revelling in the fact that they let Sam Darnold walk away in free agency last season after their best regular season campaign since 1998, and he immediately led the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl glory.
But Cousins appears to have altered his approach to finding a new team this off-season, where Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicted he would become more cautious and conscientious about where he can make an impact.
“The run Cousins got at the end of last year, after Michael Penix Jr. was injured, rekindled his love of football after a rough three-year stretch,” Breer wrote on March 2.
“He came out of it wanting the challenge of leading a team again, but also hardened a bit by everything that preceded it, from the torn Achilles in 2023 to the ’24 offseason fiasco to his benching later that year, and Atlanta’s decision to hang on to him for ’25.
“So while he wants to find a new home where he can play football again, he’s also leery of how quickly things can change. Along those lines, it sounds like Cousins will be looking for a commitment from a team. Not the kind he’d get earlier in his career. He knows that’s not coming.
“However, what he’d like now is something that shows that the team signing him sees him as the team’s starter.
Breer also went on to suggest that Cousins could be in the market seeking a contract worth $14 million a year.
“That’s why I think he’d rather not play on the minimum and leave the Falcons with the rest of his guaranteed money for this fall,” Breer added.
“His number, by the way, is lower than that of the other three quarterbacks at $10 million. So it’s not like it’d take $30 million to get a contract done.
And by getting, say, even $12 million or $14 million from a new team, it’d show that team was planning to give him a go as its starter.”
With the Vikings having signed Murray, it now seems all but certain that Cousins will not be returning back to the Land of 1000 Lakes.
Surprise NFC contender emerges as potential landing spot
But a surprise move to Green Bay could be on the cards.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Green Bay Packers could be a potential option for the 37-year-old veteran, with the Wisconsin outfit having so far not found a backup behind Jordan Love following Malik Willis’ departure to the Dolphins.
“The Packers need a backup quarterback after losing Malik Willis to the Dolphins in free agency,” Barnwell wrote. “They run play-action at one of the highest rates in the league under Matt LaFleur.
“Jordan Love has missed two games to injury in each of the past two years, so the Packers have to be conscious of their need to have a backup they trust if Love can’t go.
“While LaFleur might try to find value with another prospect in the same way the Packers once did when they traded for Willis, Cousins would be a solid option as the backup behind Love in 2026.”
Similarly, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are also destinations to keep an eye on, noted Barnwell.
“For Cousins, the question might be more about what he hopes to accomplish than where he ends up. Is Cousins’ goal to have the best opportunity to play? If so, the Browns or Steelers seem like obvious landing spots.”
But, if Cousins’ priority is to try and win a Super Bowl before he calls time on his stellar career, then he will have to accept that he will have to be strictly a backup.
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