The situation between the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins got a whole lot more interesting this week.
And it had nothing to do with either party directly.
On Thursday, Aaron Rodgers finally made his decision to extend his career by another season, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the longest time, it appeared it was a 50/50 shot that he would sign, citing personal issues possibly leading him to retirement.
The belief then became that Cousins would become the Steelers’ target if Rodgers decided to go off into the sunset. After all, the veteran has made it known to Falcons brass that he wants to be a starter again, and that doesn’t seem likely to happen in Atlanta thanks to Michael Penix Jr.
So, what’s next for Cousins?
“With Rodgers going to the Steelers, Cousins is left without a viable destination to satisfy his goal of being a starting quarterback in 2025. Thus, Cousins will be forced to play the waiting game — perhaps until training camp, the preseason or into the regular season — and monitor the health of quarterbacks around the NFL,” Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick wrote.
MORE: Falcons risk nightmare outcome with Michael Penix Jr. if they trade Kirk Cousins
The waiting game is what Cousins has been playing since Week 16 of last season, when he was benched in favor of Penix. And there’s definitely no guarantee that a starting quarterback will get hurt, so could that leave Cousins doing the unthinkable and retiring?
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That might not hurt the Falcons’ feelings, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry.
“The Falcons would love for him to retire,” Corry said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter. “…If he retires, they are entitled to get back the pro-rated amount of the signing bonus for 2025, 26 and 27. That’s $37.5 million.”
The main obstacle in moving on from Cousins has always been the amount owed to him, thanks to the four-year, $180 million deal he signed last offseason. Part of that includes a $10 million roster bonus in 2026 guaranteed by sticking with the team after March 17, along with the $27.5 million he’s guaranteed this year.
All of that becomes null and void if Cousins calls it quits. But the fact that he’s made it well-known he wants to be a starter again would indicate that the soon-to-be 37-year-old has no intention of retiring.
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