Kirk Cousins seems to be coming to terms with his future in football.
Participating in the Falcons’ mandatory minicamp recently, Cousins appears to acknowledge that his time as an NFL quarterback might be closing. “Of course you want to play,” he mentioned to reporters. “But I’m not going to hold onto things that aren’t realistic.”
At 36, Cousins is coming off one of the rougher seasons of his 13-year career. During his time with the Falcons, he played in 14 games, recording 18 touchdowns against 16 interceptions, and finished with a QBR of 50.4.
His season concluded when he lost his starting role to rookie Michael Penix Jr., contributing to the team’s failure to reach the playoffs.
As the Falcons likely prepare to have the 36-year-old quarterback remain on the roster for the start of the 2025 season, it’s expected he’ll serve as Penix’s backup this year. Many analysts speculated that the Falcons would consider releasing their $180 million quarterback by the June 1 deadline, but now that it’s passed, Cousins is still part of the team.
This situation seems to leave only one potential route: a trade. However, that prospect also appears unlikely at this point.
Recently, the Steelers were in dire need of a quarterback, but with Aaron Rodgers now on their roster, that situation has changed.
Cousins commented that he hasn’t dwelled on the past and is optimistic about his time with the Falcons going forward. “We definitely had discussions in January, February, March, and April,” he stated. “But now it’s about focusing on the present and making the best of my situation.”
