The Atlanta Falcons see the quarterback chairs running out, and they’re not in a hurry to help teams by releasing quarterback Kirk Cousins by Sunday.
Here are three NFL nuggets after the first day of the NFL’s new year:
Potential trade targets for Kirk Cousins: Browns, Steelers
I was a little surprised Wednesday when I heard definitively from two league sources that the Falcons wouldn’t be releasing Cousins by Sunday to avoid triggering $10 million in fully guaranteed 2026 salary via a roster bonus. But after spending time making additional calls, the motive seemed clear: The Falcons see that there aren’t enough veteran bridge quarterbacks to go around right now, and they’re not inclined to pay Cousins his guaranteed 2025 salary of $27.5 million and resolve some other team’s problem by releasing him.
If that sounds like the Falcons are putting some teams into their crosshairs…
