Falcons' Kirk Cousins discusses future with team despite requesting offseason trade
Kirk Cousins is at Atlanta Falcons mandatory minicamp this week despite asking for a trade earlier this offseason.
Cousins, who is in the second year of his four-year, $180 million contract he signed with Atlanta this past offseason, lost his starting quarterback position to rookie Michael Penix Jr. with three weeks left in 2024.
Head coach Raheem Morris's move to go with his rookie brought about a large question this offseason: Where do the Falcons go at quarterback in 2025?
Cousins addressed his future with the team just weeks away from training camp, and after no trade went down, he's looking forward to another likely year in Atlanta.
"We're moving forward, and it's about how we as a team and as a quarterback room can be the best we can be in 2025," Cousins told reporters, per CBS Sports.
The Falcons can still trade Cousins, but his words prove that he's ready to compete with Penix for the starting role once more. But what was considered a mentor-mentee relationship between the two in training camp last season will be much different this time around.
It was clear that Morris and the coaching staff didn't trust Cousins toward the end of the season, but Penix also didn't wow anyone to the point where he should be considered the Falcons' starter going into camp.
He had a 58.1% completion rate in his three starts while throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions over those games. And three games is a cup of coffee compared to what Cousins has been able to do in the league over the last 13 years.
Cousins was coming off a torn Achilles he suffered with the Minnesota Vikings in his 2023 campaign. It put a damper on what he was able to do with the franchise from 2020-22, throwing for over 4,200 yards in each of those three seasons, and he earned two Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022.
But he led the NFL in interceptions in 2024 (16) while only throwing for 18 touchdowns over 14 starts. The Falcons went 7-7 during that time, while Cousins threw for 3,508 yards.
If Penix is the way Atlanta is thinking in terms of a starting quarterback, then paying his backup $27.5 million would be less than ideal. That said, the Falcons would likely be proactive in moving Cousins to not have that cap hit on the books.
That's easier said than done, but perhaps a season-ending injury for another team during the year could prompt a quick trade.
For now, though, Cousins is focused on helping the Falcons, no matter what role that will be.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
21 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Khalil Mack: Staying with Chargers was less about finances than about winning games
Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack says looking for the most lucrative contract offer wasn't his top priority as free agency approached in March. Mack, who stayed with the Chargers on a one-year, $18 million deal, said he thinks there's more he can accomplish with the Chargers and wants to be part of what they're building. 'I had to be fair in the approach to things and not making it about just finances and all the different things,' Mack said, via ESPN. 'I tried to make it more so just about winning ball games.' The Chargers went 11-6 last season in Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach, and that has Mack thinking about a bright future in Los Angeles. 'Just not wanting to give up on that goal and that ambition that I have ever since I stepped into the league,' Mack said. 'I knew I wanted to play in important games and win a Super Bowl.' For all that he has accomplished in his NFL career, Mack has never experienced winning a playoff game. That's something he thinks he can do with the Chargers, and is one of the reasons he's back for another year.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top Georgia commit Justice Fitzpatrick shuts down his recruitment
Georgia Bulldogs football cornerback commit Justice Fitzpatrick announced that he will be shutting down his recruitment after recently committing to the University of Georgia. Fitzpatrick was expected to take more visits, but those appear to no longer be happening. Fitzpatrick is highly regarded and is ranked as the 47th-best player in the country. He's the third-best cornerback in the class of 2026 and the fifth-best player in Florida. He's close to being ranked as a five-star recruit. Advertisement His commitment is particularly notable due to his connection to NFL All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, his older brother. This familial link likely played a role, as Georgia head coach Kirby Smart previously recruited and coach Minkah Fitzpatrick at Alabama before taking the Georgia job, which fostered a pre-existing relationship. Fitzpatrick had a scheduled official visit to Ohio State this weekend but Georgia quickly moved to make sure that Fitzpatrick is going to solidified in this recruiting class. Expect him to be one of the core players in this class and help Georgia to secure a top three signing class. Georgia has finished with a top three recruiting class every year since 2017. Although Fitzpatrick is shutting down his recruitment, things are never truly over until early signing day in December. Follow UGAWire on Instagram! This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia CB commit shuts down his recruitment, won't take more visits
Bloomberg
23 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
The Price of Football w/Kieran Maguire: Macro Matters
This week we're talking the economics and finances of the world's game with professor, author, and podcaster Kieran Maguire of Liverpool University. We apologize in advance for those who thought this show was about gridiron football, but with the Club World Cup beginning June 14, we thought it would be interesting to discuss football/soccer finance and some economic implications of the 2026 World Cup in North America. Professor Maguire joins Macro Matters hosts Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US rates strategist, and Business of Sports co-host and EM Lens host Damian Sassower, chief emerging market fixed income strategist. The group discusses football club valuations, the economic benefits (or pitfalls) of hosting the World Cup, and how clubs used debt to finance player transfers and club operations.
