Falcons make $10 million decision on Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is staying in Atlanta — for now.The Falcons have decided to keep Cousins on their roster past 4 p.m.ET, which means that his $10 million roster bonus for 2026 will become guaranteed, according to multiple reports.However, the Falcons, in the end, might not be on the hook for some or even any of the $10 million.

The deal, according to NFL Network, comes with offset language, which means that if Cousins plays for another team in 2026, that franchise will pay part or all of the roster bonus.The decision comes on the heels of a report last week from Sports Illustrated that said Cousins recently met with Falcons owner Arthur Blank in hopes of going to a place where he can be a starter.However, as The Athletic reported, the Falcons told teams that they had no intentions of moving the 36-year-old Cousins.At the start of the last free agent period, Cousins, coming off an Achilles tear, signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta.One month later, the Falcons surprised much of the football world by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.with their first-round pick.Cousins still started the first 14 games of 2024 and threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions.

The Falcons, at 7-7, decided to name Penix the starter for the final three games.Atlanta then lost two of three and missed the playoffs.Cousins is entering his age-37 season with a $27.5 million salary and $40 million cap hit, likely as the No.

2 to Penix....