There’s Movement on the Kirk Cousins Front
The Minnesota Vikings want to add a veteran quarterback and Kirk Cousins could be on the move this offseason. A reunion almost feels too likely. On Tuesday, the percentages even climbed, as an executive of Cousins’ employer teased his exit.
That man, in fact, was the Falcons’ new GM Ian Cunningham. Falcons writer Tori McElhaney echoed on the team website, “The Atlanta Falcons are preparing to part ways with quarterback Kirk Cousins on the first day of the new league on March 11, according to general manager Ian Cunningham. Speaking with 92.9 The Game Tuesday morning, Cunningham said he spoke with Cousins and his representation, and the decision was made ‘out of respect’ to both Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., too.”
The marriage between Cousins and the Falcons won’t go down in the history books as a success story. For the Falcons, it will remain a rather expensive chapter, costing them $100 million for two seasons. The quarterback, meanwhile, lost his starting job for the first time in his long career and had to watch the team turn to rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta has now collected eight straight seasons with a losing record. After Year 6 of that streak, the Falcons went after the top quarterback on the market, signing Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million contract. He was just coming off an MVP-caliber season that was cut short because of a ruptured Achilles. That didn’t stop the Falcons.
Yet, they still acquired his successor in the Draft, spending the 8th overall pick on Penix Jr. After only 14 games, they benched their pricey starter for the younger passer. Despite trade chatter all of last year, the Falcons held on to the most expensive backup in the league for a second season. Penix Jr. suffered a torn ACL in 2025 and Cousins was back under center.
In 10 games and 8 starts, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes, his lowest percentage in over a decade. He still generated 10 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions in an offense that was driven primarily by running back Bijan Robinson. Neither Drake London nor Darnell Mooney was consistently healthy throughout the season and the club lacked weapons for Cousins to throw to. At least, he seemed to unlock talented tight end Kyle Pitts.
Though he certainly didn’t have a great season and is nowhere near the level he was during his prime, Cousins is the type of signal-caller the Vikings are looking for next to J.J. McCarthy.
The majority of reports about Minnesota’s QB room circle around the words competition and veteran. Adding Cousins would give the Vikings a baseline of quarterback play they didn’t have last year, which is why the season failed to the extent it did. Continued struggles in performance or availability from McCarthy and the Vikings could lead them to turn to a familiar face.
Of course, that idea would require Cousins to accept the competition, but also a deal the Vikings can afford. Neither item appears on Cousins’ NFL résumé since becoming a starter.
Other teams looking for a quarterback — and perhaps ready to hand him a starting job without that threat of a young QB starting over him — could be the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cousins played in 88 games with the Vikings, throwing for over 23,000 yards and 171 touchdowns, ranking him 3rd and 2nd, respectively, in franchise history.
At 37 and nearing the final stages of his career, Cousins is no longer the long-term answer he once was in Minnesota. However, as the Vikings search for a stabilizing veteran presence behind J.J. McCarthy, a short-term reunion would check several boxes — familiarity with Kevin O’Connell’s system, leadership experience, and a proven floor at the position if the market breaks in their favor.