At the NFL scouting combine, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris revealed they had no idea quarterback Kirk Cousins was hurt late last season. Cousins mentioned during Super Bowl week that he injured his right shoulder and elbow in a game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. He felt that his arm never fully recovered throughout the remainder of the season.
The Falcons listed Cousins on the injury report in Week 11, stating he was limited in practice due to these injuries. However, Cousins dismissed this as a “clerical error” after the team’s game against the Broncos.
Fontenot and Morris confirmed that apart from the one-time injury report, they were not informed about Cousins’ condition. After Week 10, Cousins struggled significantly, throwing nine interceptions against just one touchdown over five games.
“That was the only time he was on the injury report,” Fontenot said. “As far as we’re concerned, that’s the only injury we were aware of.”
Cousins was benched in Week 16 for rookie Michael Penix Jr. The team insisted this decision was purely performance-based. Morris pointed out that their choice was influenced by poor decision-making, including the high number of interceptions and low touchdown count. He emphasized that performance was the priority, not injuries.
Fontenot mentioned that discussions with Cousins and his agent, Mike McCartney, regarding his injury would remain private. The team’s future plan is to have Cousins as a backup to Penix.
If the Falcons cut Cousins before March 12, 2025, they would avoid a $10 million roster bonus but incur $65 million in dead money due to his guaranteed salary. If they designate him for a post-June 1 release, the dead money would be split over two years—$40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026.
It appears the Falcons would rather trade Cousins than release him, but his no-trade clause means he would need to approve any deal. Atlanta would likely still have to cover a significant part of his contract.
Despite the financial challenges, Fontenot reiterated that keeping Cousins as Penix’s backup is still the plan. He stressed that the money owed to Cousins is part of their budget. “We understand it’s not ideal to have a quarterback with that cap number,” Fontenot noted. “When we signed him, we expected him to start. Now, with him as a backup, that expected cost is already part of our financial planning.”
