In 2023, the Falcons went 7-10 for the third straight season. General Manager Terry Fontenot fired head coach Arthur Smith and parted ways with QB Desmond Ridder. Former Rams and Falcons DC Raheem Morris has been hired as head coach for the 2024 season.
Atlanta turned to free agency this offseason to add a new QB to its roster. Kirk Cousins received a four-year, $180 million contract from the Falcons. The veteran QB received $90 million guaranteed upon signing. After going 7-7 in 14 starts in 2024, the Falcons benched Cousins for rookie QB Michael Penix. On Thursday, GM Terry Fontenot said the team is “comfortable” moving forward with Kirk Cousins as the backup. But he will have to renegotiate his contract. No backup QB in the NFL is worth anything close to what Cousins could make in 2025.
How will the Falcons handle Kirk Cousins’ contract?
At this point in the offseason, it doesn’t help at all that the Falcons are admitting their error and saying they plan to move on from Kirk Cousins. But let’s be clear: there won’t be a backup QB next season who can make $37.5 million in cash. https://t.co/D4taGw0BdT
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 9, 2025
Kirk Cousins’ four-year, $180 million contract last offseason was a shocking move for Atlanta. The team needed an answer at QB and the team went with a veteran in Cousins. But Falcons GM Terry Fontenot has a backup plan in place in case Cousins’ minutes go south. Kirk Cousins was benched for Atlanta after starting the season 14 times. In Week 16, rookie Michael Penix Jr. made his first career start against the Giants. Penix started the final three games of the Falcons’ 2024 season and will be a starter in 2025.
This is where the Falcons run into financial trouble. The team would have no problem starting Michael Penix Jr. instead of Kirk Cousins. Penix gives the team a better chance to win in the long run. However, the Falcons will have to deal with Cousins’ contract this offseason. Cousins’ base salary in 2025 is fully guaranteed at $27.5 million. He still expects an additional $37.5 million in guaranteed money. General Manager Terry Fontenot is in a difficult situation to handle. The Falcons owe Cousins a lot of money to be their backup QB. We’ll see if the team can undo the mistake of signing Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal.
