Following an 8-9 season where they missed the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot. Now, the franchise is debating whether to retain quarterback Kirk Cousins.

According to

ESPN, veteran QB Kirk Cousins recently had his contract restructured. The 37-year-old QB reflected on his future at the franchise following the Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints. While speaking to the media, the Falcons’ QB has sent a clear message to the management, making his intentions clear.

“I would love to be back here. We’ll see how things play out. At this point, just see how it goes.”

Cousins said he wants to keep playing and “would love to be back” to be back with the #Falcons but knows there are a lot of factors at play. Thoughts of the new president/GM/head coach are three big factors. In the meantime, he won’t be twisting in the wind like last offseason. https://t.co/Xwe0VcTUhN

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 6, 2026

With still two years left on his Falcons’ contract, the QB restructured his contract. According to the deal, Cousins’ salary for 2026 has been reduced from the non-guaranteed $35 million to a mere $2.1 million. The Falcons have until March 13, 2026, to make their decision. If he does stay with the team, he is fully guaranteed a salary of $67.9 million till 2027 when his contract expires.

When the Falcons’ former Head Coach, Raheem Morris, signed with the team in 2024, there were hopes within the squad that they could reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. But that didn’t come to fruition. His record of 16-18 with zero playoff appearances in two seasons did not meet the management’s expectations and thus was

fired. It is also to be noted that Morris was the interim coach for the Falcons in 2020. He ended the 2020 season with four wins and seven losses.

The Falcons brought the seasoned quarterback in 2024, offering a four-year deal for an enormous $180 million. In his first year, Cousins earned $25 million at a base salary of $12.5 million. And he was compensated $40 million this season, which included a $27.5 million base salary.

Kirk Cousins was the Atlanta Falcons’ second-choice quarterback earlier in the season

Even though the 37-year-old was paid $40 million this season, he didn’t live up to the hefty price tag. He started the season as a backup quarterback of the Falcons as Michael Penix Jr became a regular starter. In fact, he didn’t break into the starting line-up until

Penix’s injury in Week 11.

He started eight of ten games this season. The Falcons recorded 5 wins and 3 losses when he played as the starting quarterback. Completing 1,721 passing yards, Kirk Cousins sits 31st among the NFL quarterbacks this season. Moreover, his 84.8 passer rating is below the league average this season. Despite a subpar performance this season, the quarterback contributed to

four consecutive victories of the Falcons from Week 15 to Week 18, ending the season on a high note.

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