In 2023, the Falcons completed 7-10 for the third consecutive season. Normal Supervisor Terry Fontenot fired head coach Arthur Smith and parted methods with QB Desmond Ridder. Former Rams and Falcons DC Raheem Morris was employed as head coach for the 2024 season.
Atlanta made a transfer in free company this offseason to get a brand new QB on the roster. Kirk Cousins obtained a four-year, $180 million deal from the Falcons. The veteran QB acquired $90 million assured at signing. After 14 begins in 2024 and going 7-7, the Falcons benched Cousins for rookie QB Michael Penix. On Thursday, GM Terry Fontenot mentioned the group is “comfy” shifting ahead with Kirk Cousins as their backup. Nonetheless, he’ll need to restructure his contract. No backup QB within the NFL is price something near what Cousins can be making in 2025.
How will the Falcons deal with Kirk Cousins’ contract?
At this level of the offseason, it does the Falcons zero good to confess error and state that they plan to maneuver on from Kirk Cousins, however to be clear: they won’t have a back-up QB make $37.5M in money subsequent season. https://t.co/D4taGw0BdT
— Subject Yates (@FieldYates) January 9, 2025
Final offseason, Kirk Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal was a stunning transfer by Atlanta. The group wanted a solution at QB and the group went with a veteran in Cousins. Nonetheless, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot made positive to have a backup plan in case Cousins’ time went South. After his 14 begin of the season, Kirk Cousins was benched for Atlanta. In Week 16, rookie Michael Penix Jr. made his first profession begin vs. the Giants. Penix began the ultimate three video games of the 2024 season for the Falcons and he’s going to be their starter in 2025.
That’s the place the Falcons run right into a monetary problem. The group has no drawback beginning Michael Penix Jr. as a substitute of Kirk Cousins. Penix provides the group a greater likelihood to win long-term. Nonetheless, the Falcons want to handle Cousins’ contract this offseason. In 2025, Cousins has a completely assured base wage of $27.5 million. He’s nonetheless on the books for an additional $37.5 million in assured cash. Normal supervisor Terry Fontenot has a troublesome state of affairs to deal with. The Falcons owe Cousins some huge cash to be a backup QB. We’ll see if the group can try to undo the error of signing Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal.