Kirk Cousins — kirk cousins to be released March 11, Falcons GM says
kirk cousins will be released by the Atlanta Falcons on March 11, the first day of the 2026 league year, general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday. Cunningham told reporters he had already informed Cousins of the decision and also discussed the move during a local radio interview.
Kirk Cousins release set for March
Cunningham told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday that the team will release the veteran quarterback once the new league year officially begins next month. He also spoke about the move in a local radio interview and said he had spoken to Cousins and the QB's agent about the decision. Cunningham said, "Just felt that was out of respect for Kirk. What he's done in his career, I owed that to him. We owed that to him to allow him some clarity going into free agency. " The Falcons will wait until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins, to make the move for salary cap reasons.
Falcons' quarterback timeline
Cousins headed to the Atlanta Falcons two years ago after the Minnesota Vikings decided it was time to move on, draft J. J. McCarthy and sign Sam Darnold. He signed a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. Roughly a month after signing Cousins, the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick, a move that soured the marriage between team and veteran quarterback and eventually led to Penix taking over as the starter.
Struggles, benching and injuries
Cousins struggled in his first season with the Falcons in 2024 and was benched for Penix. Penix was the starter this year but suffered a partially torn ACL that left Cousins to see extended action. Fox’s coverage noted Cousins played in 10 games for Atlanta, starting eight of them after Penix’s knee injury. Separately, Cousins started the final seven games of the regular season after Michael Penix Jr. ’s season-ending injury and threw for 1, 471 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in those seven contests; Atlanta went 5-2 with Cousins under center down the stretch but did not reach the playoffs.
Performance totals with Falcons
Across his time with Atlanta, Cousins has appeared in 24 games under center, throwing 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions with a 65. 0 completion percentage for 5, 229 yards. Earlier in his career, he delivered an excellent stretch of 12 seasons to start his NFL tenure, but an Achilles injury in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings cast doubt on his future; he returned quickly from that injury before later signing with the Falcons.
NFL market and next steps
Once he becomes available, Cousins will join a free-agent quarterback market populated by older veterans such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco. All four could draw interest from teams, though none of them, with the exception of Rodgers, seems likely to be guaranteed a starting job. It is unclear in the provided context whether Cousins’ late-season form will translate into a significant role in 2026; he may still have some ability in his right arm and could help a team win games, but he might need to compete for playing time.
Photographs from recent seasons show Cousins warming up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 11, 2025, with an image credited to Julio Aguilar. Other images include Cousins passing against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, credited to Dale Zanine, and walking off the field after a game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis in a photo credited to Abbie Parr.
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham made clear that informing Cousins directly was part of the club's approach, and that the timing of the public move ties to the start of the 2026 league year on March 11.
