Kirk Cousins triggers huge roster bonus with the Falcons

He may now be 36 years old, but Kirk Cousins isn’t ready to step away from the NFL just yet.

The veteran quarterback lost his starting spot with the Atlanta Falcons at the end of the 2024 season and had looked set to depart during the offseason. However Cousins was still on the Atlanta roster past 4pm on Saturday, ensuring that he triggers a significant payday.

Cousins will net a $10 million roster bonus for remaining with the team past that deadline. That bonus will be due in 2026 and he has another $27.5 million in line if he remains with the Falcons through 2025.

Will Kirk Cousins stay with the Falcons?

Kirk Cousins may have made it past the Saturday deadline but his future with the Falcons is far from secure. His annual salary is the same as that of Patrick Mahomes and, now 36, he is not the long-term pick for a championship-chasing team.

Last year he was supplanted by rookie Michael Penix Jr, the No.8 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft. Atlanta have already confirmed that Penix will be the starter going forward but the team does not seem to be in any rush to move Cousins on.

“Kirk handled that really well at the end of the season,” Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said. “Obviously, Kirk’s a really talented player, he’s a great man, all those things. Again, he handled that role well at the end of the season.”

Will Cousins be willing to settle for a back-up spot with the Falcons when he could likely be a starter elsewhere? ESPN reports that Cousins is frustrated with the situation and want to be a starter in the NFL next year, even requesting a meeting with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to discuss his position.

For now, Cousins will remain in Atlanta but his future is one of a number that could be decided by the landing spot for Aaron Rodgers. Wherever Rodgers decides to go, there will be more than one team looking for an experienced quarterback to see them through the 2025 season and Cousins may find that the market for his talents starts to pick up.

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