“Spielman’s presence in the front office is sure to spark Kirk Cousins speculation,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote on February 10. “As the Minnesota Vikings’ GM, Spielman signed Cousins to a huge free agent deal in 2018. Cousins, who enjoyed his most productive years in Minnesota, is likely to be cut or traded by the Atlanta Falcons in the coming weeks.

There's been radio silence between Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons regarding the veteran quarterback's future with the team.

Either way, the Falcons appear to be committed to Penix as their No. 1 QB going forward after he closed the regular season with three strong performances as the team’s starter, while Atlanta lost four of Cousins’ five final starts. The team could either trade or release Cousins, who also battled injuries last season.

The Falcons went into their Week 10 game against the Saints leading the division at 6-3 and looking poised to end the franchise’s six-season playoff drought (now seven). But from that loss to New Orleans, something went terribly wrong for Atlanta, and it was clear that Kirk Cousins wasn’t right.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora gave several reasons why the Atlanta Falcons cannot afford to keep Kirk Cousins on their 2025 NFL roster.

A blockbuster trade package proposed by Pro Football Focus has the Cleveland Browns as a possible destination for the veteran quarterback. The Falcons are now in a precarious position after Cousins was said to have injured his shoulder and elbow, which led to his second-half collapse and benching in favor of rookie Michael Penix.

Cousins says he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 10 against the Saints and never returned to full strength afterward.

The AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter called out QB Kirk Cousins for indirectly admitting he mislead the Atlanta Falcons media and fans during the 2024 NFL season.