Falcons keep Cousins through roster bonus deadline

The Atlanta Falcons kept quarterback Kirk Cousins through Saturday's roster bonus deadline, triggering a $10-million guarantee for 2026.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in December that the Falcons were expected to release Cousins before the deadline.

General manager Terry Fontenot said the team was open to trading Cousins this offseason. But the lucrative contract the quarterback signed with Atlanta last year (four years, $180 million) likely makes Cousins difficult to move, especially considering his no-trade clause.

"There's a lot of layers to that," Fontenot said in January.

Cousins earned $62.5 million in 2024 and is due $27.5 million in 2025, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The $10-million roster bonus pushes Cousins' guaranteed money to $100 million with the Falcons.

Atlanta benched Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. at the end of last season. The veteran later said his midseason drop-off coincided with elbow and shoulder injuries. Fontenot recently reiterated that Cousins will remain the Falcons' backup.

Cousins went 7-7 as a starter in 2024. He threw for 3,508 yards with 18 touchdowns and a career-high 16 interceptions. Cousins tallied the same number of touchdowns in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings across just eight games before tearing his Achilles.