Insider's reasoning behind Kirk Cousins standstill will infuriate Falcons fans

When the Atlanta Falcons made the transition from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. during the season, everyone assumed the team would quickly move on from Cousins in the offseason. Despite having a ton of money tied up in the veteran quarterback, it’s atypical to keep a veteran QB of his status and salary backing up a promising young quarterback. However, the Falcons made it clear they weren’t really interested in just dumping him as quickly as possible, if at all.

Everyone assumed the team was bluffing, but free agency passed, then the draft, and Cousins was still on the roster. Now, halfway through May, as the team continues its offseason program, Cousins is still a Falcon, and there’s no indication that will change anytime soon. Still, everyone is asking why that’s the case.

ESPN reporter Dan Gaziano tried to answer that in a recent piece exploring 10 lingering questions for the offseason. To the question of why hasn’t Atlanta moved on from Cousins, Graziano argued that stubbornness is likely playing a role, but that the Falcons truly are comfortable keeping the veteran quarterback as a backup.

"Stubbornness likely had something to do with it. They signed Cousins for $100 million in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn't thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024. And when it came time to talk trade, the Falcons were asking interested teams to pay a significant portion of that remaining $37.5 million in guaranteed money. That meant those teams weren't offering the Falcons a return that Atlanta deemed worthwhile."

Dan Graziano (ESPN)

Falcons are stubbornly keeping Kirk Cousins on their roster

Graziano points out that while Cousins’ contract is expensive, Penix’s isn’t, and that likely makes it easier on the team to keep the veteran as an expensive backup. Additionally, Cousins still could be moved if a team suddenly needs a quarterback to step in, but the Falcons have made it clear they’ll be just fine if that doesn’t happen.

It’s never fun to hear that a team is acting out of stubbornness, especially when it comes to a move that many people initially saw as a bad one to begin with. However, if Atlanta is going to move Cousins, the franchise should get its money worth. If worst comes to worst, Cousins will just remain on the roster, available to help the team out if they’re ever in a pinch.