Falcons 'comfortable' with Kirk Cousins as QB2 in 2025, GM says - ESPN

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are ready to move forward with one of the most expensive backup quarterbacks in NFL history, according to the team's general manager.

The Falcons benched quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 16 after a stretch of five games with nine interceptions and just one touchdown pass. Rookie Michael Penix Jr., who was slated to be the quarterback of the future, was thrust into the starting role over the final three weeks of the season and performed well, though the team missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record.

Cousins signed with the Falcons in March on a four-year, $180 million deal with essentially $90 million guaranteed over the first two years. Penix, who was drafted eighth overall in April, will be the Falcons' starting quarterback going into 2025 and beyond.

Where does that leave Cousins and his contract? Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said the team is willing to keep him on for another season as Penix's No. 2.

«Kirk is a great man and he's been great support for Mike, a great teammate, great support for everybody in the building, so we're very confident moving forward with him as the backup,» Fontenot said during a news conference Thursday.

Regarding the cap hit and holding on to a quarterback on the bench who performed well as a starter for nine weeks, Fontenot said the Falcons had already allocated for Cousins' money being on the books as the No. 1.

Fontenot said the expectation was «to get high-level quarterback play for two seasons.»

«We understand that that didn't happen,» Fontenot said. «Nobody was happy to make the switch at that time.… So now what happens is we had to accelerate that plan and go to Mike earlier and yet the allocation of the quarterback position — the cap