The situation has escalated for former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins spent six seasons in Minnesota. He left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency to the tune of $180 million over four years, with $90 million fully guaranteed. The Vikings planned to draft his successor and would not meet his contract demands.
Fast forward to Week 16 and the Falcons have benched Cousins for his successor, rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. The veterans’ tenure is expected to end next offseason.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it is “inevitable.”
“Kirk Cousins’ divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the NFL fully expecting Atlanta to release him by then,” Schefter wrote on December 21. “The split between Cousins and the Falcons is inevitable at this point, according to multiple sources.”
If Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, does not take another snap this season, he will finish the campaign with 3,508 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and a league-leading 16 interceptions on 66.9% completion.
His yardage and touchdowns are his fewest in any season since becoming a full-time starter in 2015, save for his injury-shortened 2023 campaign.
Kirk Cousins Expected to Use ‘Leverage’ Against Falcons
Schefter’s report potentially sheds light on the exact issues the Vikings were looking to avoid when negotiating with Cousins. The QB commended the Vikings organization for their efforts throughout the process during his introductory presser in Atlanta.
However, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell’s decision is proving quite prescient.
Cousins is not expected to ease the Falcons’ burden after they drafted and went to Penix.
“Front office executives observing the situation have pointed out that, due to the no-trade clause in Cousins’ contract, he now has all the leverage,” Schefter wrote. “And nobody believes he will do any favors for a Falcons team that surprised him on draft night by selecting another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., in the first round, then benched him this week in favor of the rookie.”
Schefter adds that a Falcons official said it was “too soon” to say what will happen with Cousins. The official added Penix’s rookie scale contract gives them flexibility.
However, Schefter said that Cousins is still expected to be released before his bonus is due.
“Had the situation in Atlanta been handled differently, in the eyes of executives across the league, the Falcons maybe would have had a chance to work with Cousins to facilitate a trade to another team,” Schefter wrote. “But considering the history that has unfolded in recent months, that is not expected to be the case.”
Falcons Set for Historically Significant Decision With Former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
The Falcons could incur a historically significant dead cap hit if they cut Cousins this coming offseason.
The current top spot belongs to Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He left the Denver Broncos with an $85 million dead cap hit. The Broncos cut him at the start of a five-year, $245 million contract extension.
They are paying $53 million in 2024, still the highest single-season hit in NFL history.
No. 2? Vikings QB Daniel Jones is counting for $47.1 million against the New York Giants’ books in 2024.
That is part of a $69.3 million total dead money charge. The Giants cut Jones in Year 2 of his four-year, $160 million contract. He notably recently sent expensive bottles of liquor to his former offensive linemen.
Atlanta faces a $90 million (pre-June 1) or $65 million (post-June 1) hit if they cut Cousins.
