Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota will be the lead storyline when he brings the Atlanta Falcons to take on the Minnesota Vikings next week but it may also come with another storyline as Cousins will reportedly be playing for his future with the team in the final stretch of the season.
The report comes from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler who notes that Cousins has solidified the quarterback position for Atlanta after signing a four-year, $180 million contract last season but have first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings.
"The next six games could determine a lot about Cousins' future," Fowler wrote in a notebook with colleague Dan Graziano. "He had shown the ability to get hot, throwing for at least three touchdowns in three of his first nine games with the Falcons before the recent two-game slide. I expect Atlanta to have a defined plan for Cousins that maximizes the passing game coming off the bye. ...The results have been pretty good but not optimal."
Cousins has put up solid numbers in his first season in Atlanta, completing 68.1% of his passes for 2,807 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games. Cousins has also led the Falcons to first place in the NFC South, but Atlanta only has a 6-5 record to show for it.
This movie is familiar to Vikings fans who watched Cousins rake in $185 million over six seasons in Minnesota but had just one playoff victory to show for it. With his contract expiring last offseason, the Vikings opted to eat $28.5 million in dead cap instead of bringing Cousins back but the gamble has paid off as Minnesota owns a 9-2 record.
The Vikings success could also show the Falcons a blueprint to get out of Cousins' contract while improving their team. Minnesota has the third-most dead money in football behind the Denver Broncos ($85.7 million) and New York Giants ($79.5 million) but were able to use the money they saved by not signing Cousins to add Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman in free agency.
The Falcons are also one step ahead from where the Vikings were a season ago after drafting Penix with the eighth overall pick in April's draft. While many mocked the pick, it gives Atlanta a fall-back option if they decide to trade Cousins next spring.
While that decision would saddle Atlanta with $37.5 million of dead cap in 2025, they would have a quarterback under contract and over $146 million in cap space for the 2026 season, according to Over The Cap.
The only thing that could hold the Falcons back is finding a trade partner but Fowler believes their could be a market for Cousins despite the fact he would be entering his age-37 season.
"Cousins would have a trade market, but I can't think of a natural fit right now," Fowler said. "The Raiders and Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback upgrade, but Cousins would prefer a contender and neither team qualifies. Luckily for Atlanta, it doesn't have to do anything right now. And Cousins very well could remain in a Falcons uniform if the next six games go well."
It leads to a natural scenario for a quarterback who has had his back to the wall throughout his career and could leave a very motivated Cousins to take on his former team next week.
