ESPN insider rips Falcons as ‘stubborn’ for what they’re doing with Kirk Cousins

The Atlanta Falcons appear content with their current quarterback situation.

That includes last year’s No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. as the presumed future of the franchise, and Kirk Cousins — with $100 million in guaranteed money — as his highly paid backup.

It’s an unusual scenario, and one that continues to spark questions deep into May.

ESPN’s Mike Graziano recently addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the Cousins situation.

"Stubbornness likely had something to do with it," Graziano wrote. "They signed Cousins for $100 million in guaranteed money 14 months ago, and team ownership wasn't thrilled about the idea of releasing him after doling out all that money for 14 not-so-great games in 2024. And when it came time to talk trade, the Falcons were asking interested teams to pay a significant portion of that remaining $37.5 million in guaranteed money. That meant those teams weren't offering the Falcons a return that Atlanta deemed worthwhile."

Cousins was signed just prior to Penix being drafted, which only added to the confusion around the move. But when considering the quarterback instability since trading away Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, the Falcons’ motives become slightly more understandable.

The position has seen constant turnover, with two different head coaches tasked with solving the issue. That instability may explain why head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot are willing to hedge their bets — stubborn or not — to ensure they have reliability at the game’s most critical position.

"At this point, the Falcons maintain that they're comfortable with Cousins as a $27.5 million backup. Sure, his salary cap number is $40 million, but Penix's is only $5.2 million," Graziano continued. "If you add those two figures together, it's not a ridiculous amount to allocate to the most important position. Cousins could still end up traded before the season. If Aaron Rodgers decides he doesn't want to play for the Steelers, Pittsburgh could get interested. If another team's starter gets hurt in minicamp or training camp, a fresh market could emerge.

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"But given the way the offseason has gone, it's probably time we took the Falcons at their word when they say they're fine keeping Cousins as the backup in 2025."

The only potential shake-up would likely come from a desperate team making the right offer — not necessarily in compensation, but something like a "premium draft pick," as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport floated.

“Every time a quarterback gets hurt, the Falcons are going to be like, ‘Hello, look at the guy we got,’” Rapoport said. “He suggested that Atlanta could even land a premium draft pick by trading Cousins during the season if a team becomes desperate enough.”