Kirk Cousins’ Departure from the Atlanta Falcons

Kirk Cousins’ stint with the Atlanta Falcons is nearing its conclusion. The team’s general manager, Ian Cunningham, announced on Tuesday that Cousins will be released when the new league year begins next month.

Cunningham also mentioned that he has already communicated this decision to Cousins, highlighting the need for respect. “I felt like that was out of respect for Kirk. What he’s done in his career, I owe him, we owe him some clarity for him to be a free agent,” he stated at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Cousins joined the Falcons two years ago after parting ways with the Minnesota Vikings, who had chosen to draft JJ McCarthy and sign Sam Darnold instead. He initially signed a four-year contract worth $180 million, with $100 million guaranteed.

However, tensions appeared early on. Shortly after Cousins signed, the Falcons caused quite a stir by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the eighth overall pick in that year’s draft. In his first season, Cousins faced challenges, leading the team to pivot towards Penix sooner than they might have liked. This past season, while Cousins saw action in ten games, starting eight of them, he had to step in as a backup when Penix was sidelined with a partially torn ACL. Over his time with the Falcons, Cousins recorded 28 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and passed for 5,229 yards with a completion percentage of 65.0.

Though Penix has had his share of injuries, it seems that the Falcons are not overly concerned about his knee issues, which now marks his third such injury.