Atlanta Falcons to release Kirk Cousins in March as GM confirms exit

New Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham has confirmed quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released on 11 March, the first day of the new league year.

Cunningham informed the 37-year-old and his agent of the decision recently, according to an interview on 92.9 The Game.

The move formally ends a complex two-year association between the franchise and the veteran passer.

Speaking to local media at the NFL Scouting Combine, Cunningham was definitive about the team’s future plans.

“We won’t re-sign Kirk,” Cunningham said.

When asked if there was any possibility of retaining the four-time Pro Bowler on a reduced salary, the general manager confirmed there was not.

Financial implications

The decision comes as little surprise following a contract restructure negotiated by the previous regime earlier this year.

That adjustment guaranteed significantly more money for the 2027 season, a figure that would have vested had he remained on the roster beyond mid-March.

By releasing Cousins with a 1 June designation, Atlanta will save $2.1m in salary cap space.

However, the NFC South club will still absorb substantial dead money charges across the 2026 and 2027 financial years.

A turbulent tenure

Cousins’ time in Georgia was defined by the organisation’s decision to draft Michael Penix Jr just six weeks after signing the veteran in free agency.

After recovering from an Achilles tear to lead the team to a 6-3 start in 2024, an arm injury and a dip in form led to his benching.

The Falcons committed to Penix as their starter for the 2025 campaign, leaving Cousins on the periphery during training camp.

However, a torn ACL for Penix in Week 11 thrust the 14-year veteran back into the line-up.

Cousins rallied the team to a four-game winning streak to close out the season, finishing with a 5-3 record as a starter compared to Penix’s 3-6.

He concluded his final year in Atlanta with 1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.