Falcons' $180m quarterback Kirk Cousins shuns team amid tense standoff
Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris has revealed that Kirk Cousins is absent from the team's first day of OTAs on Tuesday.
Cousins is hoping to be traded away this offseason after losing his place as the team's starting quarterback to Michael Penix Jr. in December.
The former Minnesota Vikings player only joined the Falcons 12 months ago and signed a huge four-year, $180million contract.
Cousins did surprise some observers last month when he showed up for the first day of the team's voluntary offseason program.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said then: 'This is a voluntary thing. Whether a player comes or doesn´t come we have a lot of good professionals who we know are going to take care of their bodies, including Kirk.'
Fontenot has said the team is comfortable in having Cousins, 36, remain with the team as the backup to Penix Jr., the team's 2024 first-round pick. But Morris said the team is open to listening to trade offers.
Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start last season but lost his job after struggling with interceptions.
Fontenot refuted a report the Falcons were asking any team trading for Cousins to pick up $20 million of his remaining guaranteed salary.
'We haven't put a number on it,' Fontenot said. 'We wouldn´t share specific conversations, but to answer your question we wouldn´t put a specific number on it.'
The Falcons could have saved a $10m roster bonus by releasing Cousins. Instead, he is guaranteed $27.5m, plus the $10m bonus, in 2025.
The Falcons were 1-2 with Penix as the starter for an 8-9 final record.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Coco Gauff hits back at Aryna Sabalenka's sour claim that Iga Swiatek would have beaten her in the French Open final
Coco Gauff has hit back at Aryna Sabalenka 's contention that Iga Swiatek would have beaten her in the French Open final. The 21-year-old American sensation conquered Roland-Garros for the very first time after coming from behind to defeat the top-ranked Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. This marked the second Grand Slam of Gauff's career, having also claimed the 2023 US Open title. The world No 2 became the first American to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. To tee up Saturday's showdown, Gauff beat Lois Boisson in the semi-final, while Sabalenka edged past world No 5 Swiatek. And in an ungracious press-conference after the final, Sabalenka argued that Swiatek would have beaten Gauff had she progressed past the semi-final. Sabalenka said: 'That hurts. Especially when I've been playing really great tennis during the whole week. A lot of tough opponents, Iga. 'I think if Iga would have beaten me, she would go out today and she would get the win.' Gauff parried the distasteful claim away and cited her victory in straight sets against Swiatek at the Madrid Open earlier this year, which was also on clay. Gauff rebutted: 'I mean, I don't agree with that. I'm here sitting here (with the trophy). Last time I played - no shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets (in Madrid). 'I don't think that's a fair thing to say, because anything can happen. The way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favourite to win the title. If you asked me, honestly, who I wanted to play, it was Iga just because I felt Aryna was playing so good, and she was. 'But regardless of who I played, I think I had a good shot to win. I definitely had that belief.' Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in blustery conditions, and said: 'It felt like a joke. Like somebody from above was laughing: let's see if you can handle this 'After two weeks of incredible tennis, in the final in terrible conditions to play such terrible tennis really hurts. 'It felt like she (Gauff) was hitting the ball off the frame and somehow magically it lands in the court. I don't think she won the match because she played incredible, just because I made all those mistakes.' The world No 1 went on to blame the conditions, namely the wind, and admitted her emotions got the better of her. 'They were terrible. The wind was terrible. Coco simply handled it better,' Sabalenka added. 'Also, I was overemotional. I think I didn't have a good mental grip on myself today. That was basically it,' said the world number 1. In detail: 'Whenever she hit the ball, the wind would eventually make it fly like crazy, and I was always too late. It just felt like a joke, like someone from above was just laughing and saying, 'Let's see if you can do this.' And today I couldn't.'
Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
Jacob deGrom excels as Rangers blank Nationals
June 7 - Jacob deGrom pitched seven strong innings, Marcus Semien had two hits and drove in three runs and the Texas Rangers beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Saturday. The 36-year-old deGrom (6-2) allowed two hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out eight. He has allowed two runs or less in ten consecutive starts and his ERA for the season is 2.12. Semien singled home a run in the first and added a two-run double in the eighth. Sam Haggerty had three hits and scored twice for Texas, which had lost four straight. Washington starter Mitchell Parker (4-6) nearly matched deGrom. The lefthander gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits over six innings. He struck out five without a walk. After being shut out 2-0 on Friday night, the Rangers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on Saturday. Haggerty led off the game with a single and with one out, Josh Jung singled. Semien singled to center and when the ball got by centerfielder Robert Hassell III both runners scored and Semien went all the way to third. Nathaniel Lowe singled off deGrom with one out in the second. With two outs, Alex Call was hit by a pitch but deGrom struck out Keibert Ruiz. Semien walked leading off the seventh against Cole Henry and went to second on a balk. After Jake Burger walked, Henry retired the next two batters before walking Kyle Higashioka to load the bases. Andrew Chafin came on and retired Josh Smith to end the inning. In the eighth, Haggerty and Wyatt Langford opened with singles against Eduardo Salazar. With one out, Semien doubled to left center, scoring both runners. Semien scored to make it 5-0 when Adolis Garcia blooped a two-out single to center. The Nationals got the first two batters on in the bottom half against Luke Jackson, but Ruiz grounded into a double play and Jose Tena grounded out. --Field Level Media
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Former NFL star Pacman Jones arrested, charged with assault of an officer
Former NFL defensive back Adam 'Pacman' Jones is facing several charges in Kentucky, including assault of a police officer and public intoxication. WHIO TV 7 in Ohio reported that Jones was arrested on Friday night and booked into the Kenton County Jail early Saturday morning. Jones, 41, played 12 seasons in the NFL for four teams, including an eight-year run with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2010-17 that included All-Pro honors in 2014 and a Pro Bowl selection in 2015. This is not his first run-in with the law. Most recently, Jones was arrested at the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport in 2023 on charges of alcohol intoxication, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. The NFL suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season for numerous violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy. He also missed the 2009 season. Drafted in the first round (sixth overall) by Tennessee in 2005, Jones recorded 17 interceptions and 509 tackles in 146 games (104 starts) with the Titans (2005-06), Dallas Cowboys (2008), Bengals and Denver Broncos (2018).
