Even though both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are already out of the playoff picture, their Week 18 meeting still carries real weight across the NFC. The result won’t directly impact either team. But it will decide the fate of the NFC South. That’s what makes the timing of Sunday morning’s development interesting and pretty much concerning.

Just hours before kickoff, the Falcons disclosed that starting quarterback Kirk Cousins woke up feeling ill. It was enough to raise questions, but with no injury designation attached, Cousins is still expected to start in what has quietly become one of the most consequential games of the day.

The stakes are simple. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers are both sitting at 8–9 after the Buccaneers’ narrow 16–14 win over the Panthers. With that result locked in, everything now hinges on Falcons vs. Saints.

For Tampa Bay, the path is clear: they need New Orleans to beat Atlanta. A Saints win avoids a three-way tie that would push the Panthers into the postseason. Carolina, meanwhile, needs the opposite: They need Cousins and the Falcons to win.

That context is why Cousins being available isn’t exactly reassuring for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs. Even if he plays, though, it’s fair to assume he won’t be operating at full strength after waking up ill. From Carolina’s perspective, Atlanta sticking with Cousins might actually be preferable. The alternative is Easton Stick, with Michael Penix Jr. already on injured reserve.

So now, it’s a waiting game. One final result decides everything. For Tampa Bay. For Carolina. And indirectly, for a Falcons team that will have far bigger quarterback questions to answer once this season finally ends and a complicated 2026 offseason comes into view.

Raheem Morris addresses Kirk Cousins’ future with the Falcons

Raheem Morris and the Falcons are heading into a complicated offseason, especially when it comes to the quarterback room. Michael Penix Jr. is sidelined after tearing his left ACL, and with his recovery timeline still uncertain, Atlanta is left reassessing what comes next at the position. Naturally, that puts Kirk Cousins squarely under the microscope.

That context is exactly why Morris didn’t offer any firm commitments when asked about Cousins’ future. Instead, the head coach kept the door wide open. “Anything can happen. We will for sure discuss all of the options when the end is near,” Morris said over a week ago.

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From a performance standpoint, Cousins has largely done his part. He’s gone 4–3 as a starter, throwing for 1,541 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions across nine games. Nothing about that screams failure. But performance isn’t the biggest variable here. Money is.

On paper, Cousins is under contract through the 2026 and 2027 seasons. In reality, each year comes with a $57.5 million cap hit. That’s where things get murky. The Falcons could realistically move on as early as March, before Cousins’ $10 million roster bonus triggers on the fifth day of the new league year.

So yes, Morris says everything is on the table. And he means it. What Atlanta ultimately decides won’t just hinge on Cousins’ play, but on how the front office chooses to navigate a high-priced quarterback against an uncertain long-term plan heading into the 2026 offseason.