Inѕіder reveаlѕ wһen Fаlconѕ could mаke Kіrk Couѕіnѕ decіѕіon

It sounds like it's only a matter of time before quarterback Kirk Cousins is no longer a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

During a Sunday episode of "SportsCenter," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said he expects Cousins to discuss his future with the Falcons before the start of the NFL Scouting Combine, scheduled for Feb. 24-March 3 in Indianapolis. Cousins, of course, went 7-7 in 14 starts in 2024 before he was benched in favor of rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.

"Cousins' $27.5M salary is guaranteed for this year, so he's on Atlanta's books. He's the backup quarterback right now behind Penix. Something there has to shake out," Fowler said (h/t Bleacher Report's Timothy Rapp). "The NFL Scouting Combine is in about a week and a half. I expect Atlanta and Cousins' agent to talk about the future and see what they can shake out." 

Fowler suggested the New York Jets could be a potential landing spot for Cousins when he and the Falcons reach a decision.

"You know, the New York Jets, once upon a time, wanted to sign Cousins," Fowler said. "He's going to be one of their best options. He has recovered from his Achilles tear. And he's got a roster bonus due in March of $10M, so that's sort of an artificial deadline for him to find a new team that should shake out."

However, New York or another QB-needy team may let Cousins hit free agency instead of trading for him. He turns 37 on Aug. 19 and will enter the second year of a four-year, $180M deal next season. 

With that in mind, the Falcons will probably release him with a post-June 1 designation. According to Over the Cap, that would incur $40M in dead cap and no cap savings. 

While costly, moving on from Cousins and rolling with Penix seems like the right choice for the Falcons. In 2024, Cousins tossed a career-high 16 interceptions and finished 23rd in the league in QBR (50.4).