Falcons GM informed QB Cousins he’ll be released on March 11

Ian Cunningham, the new general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, recently informed Kirk Cousins that the team plans to release him on the league year’s opening day, as Cunningham shared during a Tuesday morning segment on 92.9 The Game.

During the radio interview, Cunningham mentioned discussions with Cousins and his agent Mike McCartney regarding this decision, which aligns with expectations following Cousins’ contract restructuring a few months ago. The league year starts on March 11.

On February 7, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Falcons were anticipated to release Cousins.

When asked if there was a possibility for the Falcons to re-sign Cousins at a lower salary, Cunningham stated there was not.

“We won’t re-sign Kirk,” Cunningham told local media during a scrum at the combine on Tuesday.

In early January, ESPN’s Field Yates revealed that the former Falcons’ management had restructured Cousins’ contract, guaranteeing $67.9 million for the year 2027—a figure set to vest on March 13. This detail made Cousins’ release more likely.

The restructuring decreased Cousins’ 2026 base salary from a non-guaranteed $35 million to just $2.1 million. It did not alter any of his guaranteed money; it merely rearranged the agreed-upon figures.

If the Falcons proceed with the release on June 1, they would save $2.1 million against the salary cap. Dead money would amount to $22.5 million in 2026 and $12.5 million in 2027, according to Spotrac.

Cousins, 37, had a mixed tenure in Atlanta over the last two years. The Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing Cousins, catching him off guard. Coming back from a torn Achilles in 2023, Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 record in 2024 until an arm injury affected his play. He struggled through a five-game stretch with nine interceptions. The team benched Cousins in Week 16, committing to Penix as their present and future quarterback.

Returning healthy in 2025, Cousins found that the Falcons had already chosen Penix as their starter without any competition during training camp. yet, after Penix tore his left ACL in Week 11, Cousins took over for the remainder of the season, leading the team to finish strong with a four-game winning streak. The Falcons had a 5-3 record in games started by Cousins, compared to 3-6 with Penix.

In 2025, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes, racking up 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. His QBR of 47.6 placed him tied for 22nd in the league alongside Bryce Young.