FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot shared on Thursday that the organization feels “very comfortable” retaining Kirk Cousins as the backup quarterback for the upcoming season under starter Michael Penix Jr.
Last offseason, Cousins signed a lucrative four-year, $180 million contract, which included $100 million guaranteed. Despite this, he was benched for the final three games of the season as the team concluded with an 8-9 record, marking their seventh straight year of finishing under .500.
Crucially, the last $10 million of Cousins’ guaranteed money will be disbursed if he is not released by March 17. Fontenot addressed speculation regarding Cousins’ release, asserting that such claims are “not valid.”
“He’s not the starter anymore, but we’re very comfortable moving forward with him as a backup,” Fontenot remarked. He praised Cousins for managing the situation with grace, emphasizing that such circumstances often reveal one’s true character.
Fontenot characterized Cousins as “a great man” and an “outstanding teammate,” who provided strong support to everyone in the organization.
Under Penix, the eighth overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, the Falcons posted a 1-2 record. Nonetheless, Penix demonstrated more capability as a passer and better mobility within the pocket compared to Cousins, 36, who was recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that cut his 2023 season short with the Minnesota Vikings.
In the recent overtime defeat against Carolina, a closely contested match that ended in a 44-38 score, Penix threw for 312 yards and achieved three touchdowns—two through the air and one on the ground. The Falcons have now missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons.
Initially, Cousins led the Falcons to a strong start of 6-3 and briefly held the top position in the NFC South. However, the team faltered, going 1-4 in the next five games, during which Cousins managed just one touchdown pass against a staggering nine interceptions, leading the league with a total of 16 interceptions before being benched.
Fontenot opened his press briefing by expressing disappointment in the season’s outcome, acknowledging that “words don’t carry weight anymore.” He stressed that the team must focus on results moving forward.
His comments regarding Cousins staying on as a backup could potentially signal to other NFL teams that the Falcons are not necessarily releasing him. When pressed about the possibility of trading Cousins, Fontenot replied, “We’ll take those things as they come,” while noting that any potential trade would require consensus from Cousins, who possesses a no-trade clause in his contract.
