Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins shared during a segment of Quarterback that he was “pretty surprised” when the Falcons selected QB Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 draft, asserting that he might not have joined the team had he been aware of this decision.
“I wasn’t expecting us to take a quarterback,” Cousins remarked, as reported by Pro Football Talk. “At the time, it felt like I’d been a little bit misled — or certainly if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would have affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there, if both teams are gonna be drafting a quarterback high.”
During free agency, Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons rather than re-signing with the Vikings, who preferred a “year-to-year” approach, while Atlanta appeared eager to make a long-term commitment to him.
The Falcons have designated Penix as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season, which places Cousins in a backup position. He still considers himself a starting-caliber quarterback but did not secure a trade this offseason. Currently, there is no apparent opportunity for Cousins to start unless there is an injury to Penix.
This situation has pushed Cousins to come to terms with his current role, leading him to report to mandatory minicamp.
“Obviously, you would love to play, but I’m not going to dwell on things that aren’t reality,” Cousins stated, as noted by Josh Kendall. “That’s not the situation I am in, so it’s better to be focused on the situation I’m in and control what you can control. I think that’s the right mindset to have.”
This confirms a growing expectation that Cousins will serve as a $27.5 million backup for the Falcons this season.
Cousins, now 36, was originally drafted in the fourth round by Washington in 2012. He spent the final year of his rookie contract before being franchised in consecutive seasons.
He later signed a three-year, $84 million deal with the Vikings as a free agent. As he was entering the last year of his contract in 2020, he agreed to a two-year, $66 million extension. In 2021, he appended another one-year, $35 million extension, which was fully guaranteed.
Cousins was concluding that deal in 2023 while exploring the market as an unrestricted free agent before ultimately signing with the Falcons this offseason for a four-year, $180 million contract, with $100 million guaranteed.
In 2024, Cousins played in 14 games for the Falcons, completing 66.9 percent of his passes with a total of 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
We will continue to provide updates on Cousins as news unfolds.
Image Source: Kirk Cousins @ Instagram
