After benching Kirk Cousins, Falcons likely to cut the veteran QB ahead of $10M roster bonus
Kirk Cousins has been underwhelming for the Atlanta Falcons this season having thrown for 16 interceptions.
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Kirk Cousins (Image via Open Source)
The Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta has come to an end after just 15 weeks. The veteran quarterback went from swag-surfing with the home crowd to warming the bench after his disastrous performance over the past few weeks.
Despite the Falcons cutting him some slack, he has run out of rope as he is now expected to be cut by the team before he is owed a $10 million bonus on March 17. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the divorce between the two will be finalized after the season ends.
As per the NFL Insider, the split between Kirk Cousins and the Falcons has become “inevitable” at this point.
With three more games left in the season, the veteran is facing an unfamiliar situation as he will watch the game from the sidelines despite signing a four-year deal worth $180 million, with $100 million guaranteed.
The chances of a Kirk Cousins trade are very low
Now that Michael Penix Jr. will be taking over, the Falcons are looking a lot smarter for drafting him despite having signed a veteran quarterback. Their choice was mocked at the time, but in retrospect, it proved to be a smart move. Fortunately for the quarterback, he holds the leverage moving forward.
As part of Cousins’ contract, there is a no-trade clause, which means unless he consents to a deal with another team, he cannot be traded. Even if his consent was not the primary issue, then there is the prevailing issue of what team would step in to take on his contract right after the underwhelming year he had.
This is why releasing him makes the most sense. By cutting him, Atlanta would have spent $90 million on a quarterback who played 14 games for them.
The Kirk Cousins experiment was likely headed for doom from the start. Right after signing him, the team used its 8th overall pick to draft a quarterback instead of bringing on a player who would have proved to be helpful for Cousins.
The quarterback and his camp were frustrated and confused by the team’s decision on draft night. The 7-7 Atlanta Falcons are not expected to make the playoffs this year and Cousins’ 16 interceptions this season have a lot to do with it.
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Sumedh Joshi
(2235 Articles Published)