Falcons' Kirk Cousins announcement is great news for Vikings and Steelers

The Atlanta Falcons have officially announced their decision on quarterback Kirk Cousins.

According to The Athletic's Josh Kendall, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham told 92.9 The Game on Tuesday that the team will release Cousins on the first day of the new league year, which is March 11.

"Out of respect for Kirk [Cousins] and Michael [Penix], felt like that was the right decision," Cunningham said.

Of course, this was the expected decision ever since the Falcons restructured Cousins' contract that made a release inevitable.

This is good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, both of whom could be in the market for a veteran starter in 2026.

We know based on rumors that the Vikings adding a veteran is a lock.

Minnesota needs some insurance for J.J. McCarthy and could look to replace him entirely. Cousins is a good fit for that role, especially given his experience in the Vikings' offense under head coach Kevin O'Connell.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have yet to get a decision from Aaron Rodgers.

If the future Hall of Famer decides to retire or play elsewhere, Pittsburgh will be left with a room that includes the unproven Will Howard and backup Mason Rudolph.

In that scenario, we could see the Steelers consider Cousins as a replacement given the fact that Pittsburgh doesn't seem keen on hitting the reset button in 2026.

All that said, we still peg the Vikings as the most likely landing spot for Cousins.

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