How the Falcons can move on from Kirk Cousins in 2025

The Atlanta Falcons might have to make a big move at quarterback yet again in the 2025 offseason.

While acquiring a starting quarterback won’t be necessary after the team drafted Michael Penix Jr. this past April, parting ways with quarterback Kirk Cousins could be in the team’s future.

If the Falcons want to move on from Cousins this offseason and give Penix the starting job, they could either trade Cousins to another team or release him outright into free agency.

Releasing Cousins would be a major hit to Atlanta’s 2025 salary cap, as he would count for $65 million in dead cap, per Over the Cap. It is very unlikely the Falcons would be willing to take that big of a loss in an outright cut after only having Cousins for just a season.

Trading him would be the best financial option, as a trade could net the Falcons a draft pick in return to along with $2.5 million in cap savings. The dead cap hit would still be pretty lofty at $37.5 million, but that’s clearly not as bad as a release.

Note that Cousins has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he’d have to give any trade his approval before it happened. However, the Falcons could probably find a suitor looking for a bridge starter at quarterback this spring.

It’s very possible that Cousins finishes the year on a high note and runs it back with the Falcons in 2025. However, if his downward trajectory continues, Atlanta might have to make some tough decisions this offseason.