Falcons expected to release Kirk Cousins after just one season following lackluster play: report

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When Kirk Cousins signed his four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in March, no one expected that he would be benched before the end of his first season.

With Cousins being benched for poor play and rookie Michael Penix Jr. taking his place, the Falcons are now expected to release the quarterback after the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Cousins is owed a $10 million roster bonus on March 17, and according to the report, executives across the NFL expect Cousins to be released before then. 

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) enters the field before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.  (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)

If the Falcons do cut Cousins before March 17 and save $10 million, they are still on the hook for most of Cousins’ contract.

Of Cousins' $180 million contract, $100 million of it is guaranteed. If the Falcons do cut Cousins prior to next season, they are going to eat a $65 million dead cap hit, per Spotrac.

Cousins’ cap hit for next season would have been $40 million if he were still on the roster, but cutting him adds another $25 million to Cousins' cap charge towards the Falcons' salary cap for next season. 

With rookie Penix Jr. set to start in place of Cousins when the Falcons take on the New York Giants on Sunday, Cousins will have been the most expensive bridge quarterback in NFL history. 

Cousins also has a no-trade clause, and according to the report, he is not expected to waive it. 

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